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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. club — for dancing
  2. root — of a word
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. club — a group
  8. lean — to bend
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. branch — a division
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lean — thin
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fall — to drop
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bore — to tire
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fall — the season
  23. club — for golf
  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