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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. branch — a division
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bore — to drill
  6. current — electric
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stand — to bear
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. current — happening now
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. current — of water

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