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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rule — government
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rule — a law
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. mark — a trace
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. branch — a division
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. scale — in 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