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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mug — to rob
  4. branch — a division
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mug — a cup
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mug — a face
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. shower — rain
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. chest — a box
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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