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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: tube · sharp · branch · field · cue · bore · suit · wind

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. suit — to fit
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cue — a hint
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. field — for sport
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. field — farmland
  12. tube — the underground
  13. branch — a division
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. field — a subject
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. tube — a container

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