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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bank — of a river
  4. prune — to trim
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bark — to shout
  9. land — ground
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. mug — a face
  16. bank — for money
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bank — for money
  19. season — in sport
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mug — a cup
  24. season — of the year

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