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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 116 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bore — to drill
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bore — to tire
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. deal — to handle
  19. kid — to tease
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. branch — a division
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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