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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bore — to tire
  3. branch — a division
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tear — from crying
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bore — to drill
  20. sharp — clever
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. tear — from crying

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