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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. present — a gift
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bank — for money
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bore — to drill
  9. present — there
  10. bank — for money
  11. present — the time now
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rash — hasty
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. chest — a box
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. dip — to sink
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rash — a series

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