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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. branch — a division
  5. object — to protest
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. object — an aim
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tube — the underground
  22. object — a thing
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. tube — a container

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