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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wound · fine · scale · rest · bore · tear · track

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rest — what's left
  7. track — a song
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. track — a path
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. scale — in music
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wound — an injury
  15. track — to keep track
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tear — from crying
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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