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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tear — to rip
  10. season — in sport
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mate — a friend
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — for money
  17. tear — from crying
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bass — low music
  20. mate — to breed
  21. clip — a video
  22. mate — a partner
  23. season — of the year
  24. tear — from crying

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