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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. club — a group
  6. branch — a division
  7. club — for golf
  8. lean — thin
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. face — to confront
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bore — to drill
  14. face — to point toward
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lean — to bend
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bore — to tire
  24. temple — side of the head

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