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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: nail · mate · lean · wound · bore · dip · present · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mate — a friend
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. present — the time now
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mate — a partner
  13. present — there
  14. branch — a division
  15. lean — to bend
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. lean — thin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bore — to tire
  21. present — a gift
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mate — to breed

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