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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. branch — a division
  4. squash — the sport
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fall — the season
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bank — of a river
  10. row — a line
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fall — to drop
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. squash — to crush
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bank — for money
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bank — for money
  24. fall — to drop

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