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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. branch — a division
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bore — to tire
  8. court — of law
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spell — magic
  11. bore — to drill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. spell — a short time
  15. court — for sport
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — of a king
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. spell — letters
  23. rest — a break
  24. pit — in a race

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