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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. season — of the year
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — to tire
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. kick — in football
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rock — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rush — hurry
  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