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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cap — of ice
  4. track — to keep track
  5. board — to get on
  6. cap — a lid
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. roll — a list
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. track — a path
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. track — a song
  16. cap — a hat
  17. tear — from crying
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bore — to tire
  23. roll — a cake
  24. board — a committee

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