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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. branch — a division
  6. object — an aim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — to protest
  9. craft — a skill
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. craft — boats
  13. object — a thing
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stem — to come from
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. shower — rain
  24. bore — to drill

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