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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. press — a publisher
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. current — of water
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. current — happening now
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. race — the arms race
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bore — to drill
  13. current — electric
  14. race — a contest
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. press — newspapers
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a ring
  20. press — to push
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. race — humankind

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