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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kid — child
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wax — to grow
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. charge — in control
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. charge — a price
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. craft — boats
  22. hand — help
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — a division

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