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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 124 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. shower — rain
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. branch — a division
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fine — all right
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wound — an injury

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