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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. foot — a measure
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. kid — child
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. branch — a division
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bore — to tire

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