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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spell — letters
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. row — a line
  9. spell — magic
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spell — a short time
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. branch — a division
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mark — a grade
  24. row — to paddle

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