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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bore — to drill
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. shower — rain
  8. rock — music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mark — a grade
  12. branch — a division
  13. mine — for digging
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bore — to tire
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. game — wild animals
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mine — belonging to me

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