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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: rock · pound · hide · key · bore · branch · bowl · pit

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rock — music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pit — a hole
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. branch — a division

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