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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 · lean · mine · rush · branch · row · dip · bore

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. row — a line
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bore — to tire
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — thin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lean — to bend
  20. row — to paddle
  21. can — to be able to
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mine — for digging
  24. row — a quarrel

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