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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spring — of water
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. branch — a division
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bark — to shout
  10. present — the time now
  11. charge — in control
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bore — to tire
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. charge — a price
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spring — the season
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. spring — a coil
  22. prune — to trim
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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