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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. kick — in football
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bore — to tire
  6. branch — a division
  7. swing — to play on
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — the animal
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bore — to drill
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. branch — of a tree

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