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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. drill — the tool
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. drill — army training
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bore — to drill
  20. face — to confront
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bear — the animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. pitcher — a jug

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