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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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 drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. present — a gift
  6. saw — the tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. file — a tool
  11. dip — to sink
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bore — to tire
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. file — a document
  20. branch — a division
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  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