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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pit — a hole
  11. branch — a division
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pop — soda
  22. bore — to drill
  23. present — there
  24. pop — music

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