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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lean — thin
  5. bore — to drill
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. last — final
  11. rash — a series
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lean — to bend
  15. file — a tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. last — to go on
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rash — hasty
  23. branch — a division
  24. last — finally

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