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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bore — to drill
  4. object — an aim
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. scale — in music
  8. object — to protest
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. craft — a skill
  11. scale — size or range
  12. land — to come down
  13. bore — to tire
  14. branch — a division
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. land — a country
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. spring — the season
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. land — ground
  23. object — a thing
  24. spring — of water

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