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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: mouse · craft · bore · branch · tear · season · cold · board

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. season — in sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. tear — from crying
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. craft — boats
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — a committee
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. branch — a division
  18. cold — an illness
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cold — not warm
  23. board — to get on
  24. tear — to rip

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