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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bore — to drill
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. staff — employees
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. land — to come down
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. land — a country
  15. staff — a stick
  16. branch — a division
  17. bore — to tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. land — ground

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