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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. plane — a tool
  5. row — a line
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. object — to protest
  10. bore — to drill
  11. spell — letters
  12. row — to paddle
  13. object — an aim
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. spell — magic
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. object — a thing
  18. fork — in a road
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spell — a short time
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fork — to eat with

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