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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. craft — a skill
  3. current — electric
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. net — for catching
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. current — happening now
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. net — in sport
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bore — to tire
  19. current — of water
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. net — after costs
  22. craft — boats
  23. branch — a division
  24. ruler — for measuring

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