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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. band — a music group
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fall — the season
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. band — a ring
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fall — to drop
  20. branch — a division
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bore — to tire

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