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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bore — to tire
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. branch — a division
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. present — a gift
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. scale — in music
  17. charge — in control
  18. scale — size or range
  19. charge — a price
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rule — government
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rule — a law

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