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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: date · stem · rule · content · bore · branch · fan · pass

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. content — happy
  8. rule — a law
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rule — government
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. content — the amount
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rule — to rule out

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