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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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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. club — for golf
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. branch — a division
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hand — in cards
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  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