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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 · mug · rock · bore · saw · net · season · shower

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. net — after costs
  4. season — in sport
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bore — to tire
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. net — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mug — a cup
  14. branch — a division
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mug — to rob
  21. net — for catching
  22. shower — rain
  23. mug — a face
  24. season — of the year

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