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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ball — a dance
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ball — a great time
  7. toast — bread
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. branch — a division
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kid — child
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bore — to tire
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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