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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: row · fall · branch · rush · face · bore · rash · fine

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. face — to point toward
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rash — a series
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. row — to paddle
  10. branch — a division
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fall — to drop
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. face — to confront
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fall — the season

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