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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stock — goods
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stock — shares
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — thin
  23. shower — rain
  24. mouse — the animal

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