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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bore — to drill
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fork — in a road
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. dip — to sink
  18. kick — in football
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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