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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: march · sharp · rush · branch · charge · bulb · lie · bore

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bore — to drill
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lie — to recline
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — a division
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. charge — a price
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. march — the month
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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