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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: cue · branch · bore · mine · rock · kid · calf · bass

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — for pool
  10. branch — a division
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bass — low music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bass — the fish
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cue — a signal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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