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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: bear · degree · lean · lash · mate · branch · bore · cold

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cold — an illness
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. lean — thin
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — a division
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lean — to bend
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bear — the animal
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cold — not warm
  22. mate — to breed
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bore — gave birth

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