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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. net — in sport
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. net — after costs
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bark — to shout
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. net — for catching
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — an untruth

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