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

Word bank: foot · swing · field · branch · hide · vault · deal · bore

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. swing — music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. field — a subject
  7. swing — to play on
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bore — to tire
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. field — farmland
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. deal — to handle
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. swing — in golf
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. field — for sport
  22. vault — a safe
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. foot — the bottom

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