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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. press — to push
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bat — the animal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. club — a group
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. charge — a price
  19. club — for golf
  20. branch — a division
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bore — gave birth

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