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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: branch · shower · bore · land · rush · board · squash · coach

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bore — to tire
  4. board — a committee
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. land — a country
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. branch — a division
  10. squash — to crush
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. land — ground
  13. shower — rain
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. shower — to wash
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. land — to come down
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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