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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bore — to drill
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fall — to drop
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fall — the season

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