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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — music
  7. lean — thin
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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