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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. file — a document
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. scale — in music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bore — to drill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. file — a tool
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. scale — size or range
  21. branch — a division
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. branch — of a tree

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