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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: shower · branch · press · bore · hand · bound · wave · rock

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. press — to push
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. hand — help
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. branch — a division
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rock — music
  19. shower — rain
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bound — obliged
  22. press — newspapers
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. branch — of a tree

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