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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: staff · branch · can · lie · tube · court · arm · bore

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. court — of law
  6. staff — employees
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. branch — a division
  9. court — for sport
  10. can — to be able to
  11. tube — the underground
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. staff — employees
  14. bore — to drill
  15. court — of a king
  16. staff — a stick
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lie — to recline
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. can — a tin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — a container
  24. bore — to tire

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