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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. field — a subject
  9. bore — to tire
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bear — the animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. press — to push
  14. march — the month
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. march — music
  17. field — for sport
  18. press — newspapers
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. branch — a division
  23. field — farmland
  24. press — a publisher

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