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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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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: foot · bore · band · ruler · branch · ground · last · mate

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. band — a ring
  3. branch — a division
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mate — a friend
  7. last — to go on
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. band — a music group
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mate — to breed
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mate — a partner
  22. last — finally
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. last — final

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