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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. spring — of water
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bore — to drill
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bore — to tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rash — a series
  20. spring — the season
  21. cap — of ice
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. track — to keep track

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