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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. branch — a division
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. shower — rain
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitcher — a jug

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