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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fall — to drop
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mug — a face
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fall — the season
  10. suit — clothes
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. suit — to fit
  15. branch — a division
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bore — to tire
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bore — to drill
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. fall — to drop
  24. march — the month

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