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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. prune — to trim
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. game — wild animals
  6. branch — a division
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. tube — a container
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bore — to tire
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lean — thin
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. prune — to trim
  19. land — to come down
  20. tube — the underground
  21. game — a match
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ruler — a monarch

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