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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bore — to tire
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rest — what's left
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rest — a break
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fine — high quality
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. branch — a division
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. fine — all right

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