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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bark — to shout
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bore — to tire
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. charge — in control
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bore — to drill
  18. field — farmland
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. squash — the sport
  24. charge — a price

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