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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 120 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 a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. suit — to fit
  4. branch — a division
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. row — a line
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. suit — in cards
  16. present — the time now
  17. row — to paddle
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pound — a weight
  20. perch — the fish
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bore — to drill
  24. perch — for a bird

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