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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. land — ground
  3. field — a subject
  4. object — to protest
  5. staff — employees
  6. object — a thing
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. staff — employees
  10. land — a country
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. field — farmland
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. land — to come down
  15. bore — to drill
  16. kick — in football
  17. branch — a division
  18. object — an aim
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. field — for sport
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. staff — a stick
  24. leaves — to go away

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