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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. object — an aim
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. scale — in music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. branch — a division
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. object — a thing
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fall — to drop
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. tube — in a tire

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