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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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. track — a path
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. track — to keep track
  12. branch — a division
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. track — a song
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bear — the animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rule — government
  24. prune — to trim

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