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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. branch — a division
  3. game — wild animals
  4. sharp — clever
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rash — a series
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. staff — employees
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rock — music
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rash — hasty
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. staff — employees

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