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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. season — in sport
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — to tease
  6. plane — a tool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. season — of the year
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kid — child
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bore — to tire

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