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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: suit · shower · bore · game · leaves · branch · tube · kid

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. shower — to wash
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. game — a match
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tube — a container
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bore — to drill
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tube — the underground
  12. branch — a division
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bore — to tire
  15. shower — rain
  16. game — wild animals
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. suit — in cards
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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