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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: bass · leaves · hide · rest · present · row · bore · branch

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. present — the time now
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bass — the fish
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. present — a gift
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. row — a line
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rest — a break
  19. present — there
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bass — low music

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