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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bore — to drill
  5. ball — a dance
  6. track — a path
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bore — to tire
  11. ball — a great time
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. face — to confront
  17. track — a song
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. track — to keep track
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pass — a permit

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