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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · pit · bore · sharp · fall · pitcher · leaves · wind

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fall — the season
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pit — a hole
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wind — moving air

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