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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 124 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ball — a great time
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ball — a dance
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rash — a series
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. dip — to sink
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. branch — a division
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. safe — out of danger

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