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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. branch — a division
  4. charge — a price
  5. rush — hurry
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. suit — clothes
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mine — for digging
  13. charge — in control
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. suit — in cards
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bat — the animal
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bore — to 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