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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 116 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rest — what's left
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — to drill
  10. ground — a position
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rest — a break
  16. bank — for money
  17. row — a line
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ground — the earth

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