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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.

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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. current — electric
  3. bore — to drill
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bound — obliged
  8. branch — a division
  9. race — a contest
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bore — to tire
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. race — humankind
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bound — tied together
  18. current — happening now
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bound — certain
  22. current — of water
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bore — gave birth

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