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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. tube — the underground
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. drill — a practice
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. drill — the tool
  20. craft — boats
  21. tube — a container
  22. bore — to drill
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. temple — a place of worship

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