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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. chest — a box
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cue — a signal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bore — to drill
  15. branch — a division
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. branch — of a bank

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