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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · face · perch · pass · branch · trunk · bore · rule

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. branch — a division
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. bore — to drill
  6. face — part of the head
  7. firm — a company
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. firm — decided
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. firm — steady
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rule — government
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pass — a permit
  23. perch — for a bird
  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