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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · present · branch · arm · bore · mine · fan · stem

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. present — there
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mine — for digging
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bore — to drill
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bore — to tire
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — a division
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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