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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: plane · sharp · saw · season · branch · bore · rash · mouse

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — to tire
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. season — of the year
  9. sharp — clever
  10. plane — a tool
  11. season — in sport
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rash — a series
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. saw — the tool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bore — to drill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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