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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. last — finally
  6. bore — to tire
  7. season — of the year
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. chest — of your body
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. chest — a box
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. last — final
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bore — to drill
  19. season — in sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. last — to go on
  23. branch — a division
  24. bowl — a dish

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