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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: can · mug · branch · bore · sharp · stem · fall · cold

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mug — a cup
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. branch — a division
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. can — a tin
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. can — a tin
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. cold — not warm
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. can — to be able to

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