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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bear — the animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. band — a ring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rash — a series
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. lean — thin
  24. safe — a strongbox

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