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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. craft — boats
  4. spring — the season
  5. cell — in biology
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. lie — to recline
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spring — of water
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bore — to tire
  18. season — in sport
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. game — a match
  22. season — of the year
  23. branch — a division
  24. craft — a skill

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