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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. spring — the season
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bore — to drill
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — the tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. spring — a coil
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spring — of water
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mine — belonging to me

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