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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. season — of the year
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. branch — a division
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bore — to tire
  16. firm — steady
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. season — in sport
  22. lie — to recline
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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