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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 116 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. key — the most important part
  6. net — after costs
  7. key — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bore — to drill
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. scale — in music
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rock — music
  18. net — in sport
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bore — to tire
  22. net — for catching
  23. branch — a division
  24. trunk — of a car

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