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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. branch — a division
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rule — government
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rule — a law
  8. vault — a safe
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. sharp — clever
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pound — a weight
  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