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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 120 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: bore · branch · mine · straw · wave · racket · rush · game

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — a match
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — to tire
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. game — wild animals
  23. branch — a division
  24. wave — of the sea

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