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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. branch — a division
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bore — to drill
  5. firm — a company
  6. bound — obliged
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. firm — steady
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. shower — rain
  13. clip — to cut
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bound — certain
  16. board — to get on
  17. clip — a video
  18. rush — hurry
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. firm — decided
  22. bound — tied together
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bore — to tire

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