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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lean — to bend
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bore — to drill
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. mate — a friend
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bore — to tire
  12. march — the month
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. shower — rain
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. deal — to handle
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. branch — a division

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