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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.

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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: kid · bear · pit · hide · branch · bore · lie · drill

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pit — in a race
  3. drill — army training
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. drill — the tool
  13. kid — to tease
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. branch — a division
  18. bore — to tire
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pit — a hole

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