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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: stand · bark · bear · wound · mate · current · bore · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. current — electric
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bore — to tire
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. branch — a division
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bore — to drill

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