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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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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: wind · lie · bore · shower · branch · safe · deal · prune

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bore — to drill
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — to wash
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — to trim
  22. branch — a division
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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