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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bound — certain
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. kid — child
  16. rock — music
  17. bore — to tire
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bat — the animal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. branch — a division
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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