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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bank — for money
  3. march — music
  4. lean — thin
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. branch — a division
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. march — the month
  17. rock — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — the month
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rock — a stone

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