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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: cap · field · bore · bulb · lean · bark · branch · object

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. field — farmland
  8. object — an aim
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lean — thin
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. field — a subject
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bulb — for light
  19. object — a thing
  20. lean — to bend
  21. field — for sport
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. object — to protest

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