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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. present — a gift
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. branch — a division
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. band — a music group
  14. press — newspapers
  15. present — the time now
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. press — to push
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. present — there

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