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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. band — a music group
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fall — the season
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stand — to bear
  23. band — a ring
  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