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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. toast — bread
  4. chest — a box
  5. bore — to tire
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bore — to drill
  9. swing — music
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. chip — to eat
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. chest — of your body
  14. branch — a division
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rush — hurry
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chest — of your body
  19. swing — in golf
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. swing — to play on
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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