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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 120 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: bore · patient · branch · dip · bank · craft · deal · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bank — for money
  4. craft — boats
  5. bank — for money
  6. bore — to drill
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bore — to tire
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lean — thin
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. craft — a skill
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lean — to rest against

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