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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fork — in a road
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. saw — the tool
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — low music
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. branch — a division
  12. bat — the animal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bore — to drill
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bore — gave birth

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