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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. band — a ring
  3. charge — electricity
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. land — a country
  12. snap — to click
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. charge — in control
  18. land — to come down
  19. bore — to tire
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. band — a music group
  22. charge — a price
  23. land — ground
  24. ruler — for measuring

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