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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: file · bore · staff · pop · drill · last · branch · ruler

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. file — a document
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. last — final
  7. file — a line of people
  8. branch — a division
  9. drill — army training
  10. bore — to drill
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pop — to visit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pop — soda
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pop — music
  20. staff — employees
  21. last — to go on
  22. staff — employees
  23. last — finally
  24. file — a tool

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