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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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. march — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. tube — a container
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. march — the month
  17. pop — music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pop — soda
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rush — hurry
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. branch — a division
  24. rush — a thrill

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