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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. branch — a division
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. court — for sport
  9. clip — a video
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. court — of law
  17. clip — to cut
  18. court — of a king
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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