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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wake — a trail
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. charge — a price
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. charge — in control
  9. bore — to tire
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. file — a tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. charge — electricity
  18. file — a document
  19. saw — the tool
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. branch — a division
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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