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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · branch · coach · spring · tear · file · rest · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. file — a document
  6. rest — what's left
  7. branch — a division
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rest — a break
  17. file — a tool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. spring — the season
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bore — to tire

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