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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: bore · plane · coach · mine · mark · bulb · bat · branch

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bat — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mine — for digging
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bore — to tire
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bat — for baseball

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