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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: firm · bore · rash · spring · straw · fall · branch · saw

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. spring — the season
  6. bore — to drill
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. firm — a company
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fall — the season
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. spring — of water
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. firm — decided
  22. fall — to drop
  23. branch — a division
  24. firm — steady

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