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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. season — in sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bore — to tire
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. branch — a division
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. plane — a tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tear — to rip
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bore — to drill
  21. season — of the year
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com