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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 120 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bore — to drill
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. race — humankind
  6. pit — in a race
  7. race — the arms race
  8. press — newspapers
  9. branch — a division
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. press — to push
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. press — a publisher
  19. race — a contest
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bore — gave birth

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