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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bass — low music
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bear — the animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to click
  19. bore — to tire
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. tear — from crying
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. calf — a young animal

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