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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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468
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: file · tear · bulb · bore · fan · branch · root · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bore — to drill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a tool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. file — a line of people
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tear — from crying
  10. root — the cause
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. file — a document
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. root — of a word
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. branch — a division

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