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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. court — of a king
  3. bore — to tire
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rush — hurry
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. court — for sport
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. court — of law
  17. branch — a division
  18. rest — what's left
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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