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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bore — to tire
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. press — newspapers
  6. row — a line
  7. press — a publisher
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kid — child
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. club — for dancing
  13. branch — a division
  14. club — for golf
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. press — to push
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. club — a group

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