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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: wind · lie · safe · bowl · deal · pound · branch · bore

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pound — a weight
  5. branch — a division
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. deal — to handle
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bore — to drill

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