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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 116 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. spell — letters
  3. net — for catching
  4. cue — a signal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cue — for pool
  12. net — in sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. cue — a hint
  18. net — after costs
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. branch — of a tree

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