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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bass — the fish
  11. dip — to sink
  12. chest — a box
  13. pop — music
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chest — of your body
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. chest — of your body
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. dip — to dunk

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