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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bore — to tire
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. roll — a list
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bore — to drill

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