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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. land — ground
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. file — a document
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. swing — to play on
  19. branch — a division
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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