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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: branch · prune · bowl · face · can · bore · rule · current

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rule — a law
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. face — part of the head
  6. current — electric
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. face — to confront
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. current — of water
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. prune — to trim
  17. current — happening now
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rule — government
  20. prune — to trim
  21. branch — a division
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. face — to point toward
  24. can — to be able to

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