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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.

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: row · straw · rest · bore · game · branch · bear · pitcher

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. branch — a division
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. bear — the animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rest — a break
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. game — a match

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