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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bore — to tire
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. last — final
  9. branch — a division
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. last — finally
  12. drill — a practice
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. last — to go on
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. drill — army training
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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