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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spell — letters
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stock — shares
  14. spell — a short time
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stock — goods
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. spell — magic
  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