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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: shower · wound · branch · track · bore · mate · lean · sharp

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. wound — an injury
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. track — a path
  6. mate — to breed
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. branch — a division
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lean — thin
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lean — to bend
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mate — a partner
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mate — a friend
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. shower — rain

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