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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: charge · bore · cold · branch · bat · leaves · prune · bowl

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. branch — a division
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. charge — in control
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bat — the animal
  17. charge — a price
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. charge — electricity
  20. prune — to trim
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cold — not warm
  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