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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 116 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: scale · rest · bore · spell · present · straw · branch · current

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bore — to drill
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bore — to tire
  8. present — a gift
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. current — of water
  11. rest — what's left
  12. branch — a division
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. current — happening now
  15. present — there
  16. spell — a short time
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. spell — magic
  19. current — electric
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. present — the time now
  22. spell — letters
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. scale — in music

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