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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bass — the fish
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bore — to drill
  12. drill — the tool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bound — obliged
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bore — to tire
  23. drill — army training
  24. mark — a grade

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