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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bore — to tire
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. branch — a division
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lean — thin
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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