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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · chest · mouse · bulb · fall · bore · safe · tear

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. branch — a division
  5. bore — to drill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chest — a box
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chest — of your body
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fall — to drop
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — for light
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bore — gave birth
  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