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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. field — farmland
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. charge — in control
  10. branch — a division
  11. stem — to come from
  12. field — for sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. charge — electricity
  19. field — a subject
  20. charge — a price
  21. lean — thin
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lash — to lash out

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