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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. branch — a division
  9. suit — to fit
  10. last — finally
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. last — to go on
  13. bore — to drill
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — thin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — in cards
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. suit — clothes
  23. last — final
  24. fall — the season

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