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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: mine · cell · branch · lean · bore · field · ruler · straw

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bore — to tire
  5. field — a subject
  6. branch — a division
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. field — farmland
  21. bore — to drill
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mine — for digging
  24. field — for sport

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