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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fine — all right
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bore — to tire
  9. last — to go on
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. last — final
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. last — finally
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. branch — a division
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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