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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: current · plane · ruler · branch · bore · mate · cabinet · stem

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. branch — a division
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. current — electric
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. current — happening now
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bore — to drill
  24. current — of water

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