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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mark — a grade
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. spring — of water
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. current — of water
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spring — a coil
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chest — a box
  17. current — electric
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chest — of your body
  20. current — happening now
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spring — the season
  23. branch — a division
  24. rock — music

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