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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. swing — to play on
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rest — a break
  8. tear — from crying
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tear — to rip
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bore — to drill
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mouse — for a computer

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