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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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468
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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ball — a great time
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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