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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: ruler · pound · face · wake · track · bore · rash · branch

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. track — a song
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — a division
  15. face — to point toward
  16. track — a path
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pound — a weight
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. face — to confront
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. ruler — for measuring

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