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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bore — to tire
  7. branch — a division
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wake — a trail
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. staff — employees
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. staff — employees
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. branch — of a bank

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