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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: mine · bore · branch · swing · field · tear · bay · firm

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bore — to drill
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. field — for sport
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. field — a subject
  11. swing — music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. field — farmland
  17. firm — steady
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. swing — to play on
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. mine — for digging

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