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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pop — music
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pop — soda
  12. rush — hurry
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. branch — a division
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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