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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bore — to tire
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stem — to come from
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bore — to drill
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. branch — a division
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bear — the animal
  24. branch — of a bank

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