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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bank — of a river
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — to tire
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. drill — army training
  14. bank — for money
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — a match
  17. drill — a practice
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bank — for money
  20. bore — to drill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lie — to recline
  24. drill — the tool

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