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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ball — a dance
  4. file — a tool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. file — a document
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bound — certain
  16. face — to confront
  17. fall — the season
  18. file — a line of people
  19. branch — a division
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bore — to tire
  22. face — part of the head
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fall — to drop

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