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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. kid — to tease
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. key — the most important part
  10. charge — in control
  11. field — farmland
  12. bank — for money
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. key — for a lock
  17. kid — child
  18. bore — to tire
  19. key — in music
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. branch — a division

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