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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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cap — of ice
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. chest — a box
  12. bore — to drill
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bore — to tire
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chest — of your body
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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