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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. spring — a coil
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spring — of water
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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