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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. last — final
  3. last — finally
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — a grade
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tear — from crying
  9. charge — a price
  10. tear — to rip
  11. last — to go on
  12. charge — in control
  13. rest — a break
  14. bore — to tire
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bore — to drill
  18. net — for catching
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mark — a trace
  23. branch — a division
  24. net — after costs

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