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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. prune — to trim
  3. band — a ring
  4. bore — to drill
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fine — high quality
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fine — all right
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. band — a music group
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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