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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bore — to drill
  4. last — finally
  5. branch — a division
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. face — to point toward
  10. last — to go on
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. last — final
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. saw — the tool
  18. dip — to sink
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bore — to tire
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. object — an aim
  24. dip — to dunk

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