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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. prune — to trim
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. tear — to rip
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. prune — to trim
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. dip — to sink
  19. tear — from crying
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. branch — a division
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bore — to tire

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