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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. branch — a division
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — in sport
  8. row — a line
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. date — the fruit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. row — to paddle
  22. season — of the year
  23. racket — for tennis
  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