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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 · bore · tear · leaves · bank · pitcher · lean · branch

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bore — to tire
  3. lean — to bend
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lean — thin
  11. bank — for money
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. branch — a division
  14. tear — from crying
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. tear — from crying
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bank — of a river
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bank — for money

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