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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bound — tied together
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. branch — a division
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. present — there
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. present — a gift
  11. rest — a break
  12. bear — the animal
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. present — the time now
  20. bound — certain
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bore — to drill

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