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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: stand · foot · bore · fine · branch · shower · snap · chest

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. shower — rain
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. snap — to click
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bore — to drill
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. chest — a box
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. branch — a division
  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