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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: board · bore · land · branch · mug · arm · bowl · wax

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. board — a committee
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wax — to grow
  19. land — ground
  20. branch — a division
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. board — to get on
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. board — a flat piece

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