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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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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. land — to come down
  3. cap — a hat
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bore — to tire
  6. band — a ring
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. land — a country
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. band — a music group
  13. bore — to drill
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. land — ground
  16. cap — a lid
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tear — to rip
  24. cap — of ice

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