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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.

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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: bore · net · band · pop · branch · stick · calf · pass

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pop — soda
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pop — music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pass — a permit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. net — for catching
  16. band — a ring
  17. branch — a division
  18. band — a music group
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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