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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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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: toast · stem · bore · snap · wave · rock · branch · fine

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. branch — a division
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. toast — bread
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rock — music
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bore — to drill
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stem — to come from
  15. snap — to click
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fine — high quality
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rock — a stone
  24. toast — the most admired

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