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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. firm — decided
  4. net — for catching
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. firm — steady
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. net — in sport
  12. ball — a great time
  13. firm — a company
  14. branch — a division
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. net — after costs
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. plane — a tool
  24. branch — of a tree

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