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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 120 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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pass — a permit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. spring — of water
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. hand — help
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bore — to tire
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. branch — a division

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