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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 116 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. present — the time now
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. present — a gift
  11. branch — a division
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pound — a weight
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cell — in biology
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — clever
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. present — there
  24. branch — of a bank

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