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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. swing — music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fall — the season
  8. track — a song
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spell — magic
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fine — all right
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fall — to drop
  15. track — a path
  16. spell — letters
  17. rule — government
  18. bore — to tire
  19. branch — a division
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rule — a law
  22. spell — a short time
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. swing — in golf

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