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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. current — electric
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rash — a series
  20. dip — to sink
  21. branch — a division
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rash — hasty
  24. swing — in golf

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