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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lean — thin
  7. drill — the tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. drill — a practice
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. can — to be able to
  18. kick — in football
  19. can — a tin
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. drill — army training
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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