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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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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: chest · bound · cue · bore · chair · current · branch · mark

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mark — a trace
  6. branch — a division
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. current — electric
  11. chest — a box
  12. bound — obliged
  13. current — of water
  14. cue — a hint
  15. current — happening now
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bound — certain
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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