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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. club — a group
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bore — to drill
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bark — to shout
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. club — for golf
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. club — for dancing
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. swing — to play on

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