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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: stock · nail · branch · mouse · bulb · bore · kid · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bore — to drill
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. kid — child
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. branch — a division
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bore — to tire
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. shower — rain
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stock — shares
  21. bulb — for light
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stock — goods
  24. nail — for a hammer

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