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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. net — for catching
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. net — in sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ground — the earth
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ball — a great time
  13. net — after costs
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. branch — a division
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ground — a position
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ground — crushed

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