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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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 drill
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. last — to go on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mark — a grade
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. row — a line
  17. lie — to recline
  18. branch — a division
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. last — finally
  21. pound — a weight
  22. last — final
  23. row — a quarrel
  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