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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — the month
  10. bore — to tire
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. branch — a division
  13. march — music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bore — to drill
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. land — a country
  24. shower — to wash

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