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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: bore · mine · rule · lean · wound · branch · pass · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rule — a law
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mine — for digging
  8. branch — a division
  9. pass — a permit
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lean — thin
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rule — government
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bore — gave birth

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