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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ground — a position
  7. branch — a division
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. charge — in control
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wind — moving air
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stem — to come from
  18. charge — a price
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bore — to tire
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. charge — electricity

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