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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. branch — a division
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mine — for digging
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — a partner
  13. shower — to wash
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bore — to drill
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bulb — for light
  18. shower — rain
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mate — a friend

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