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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. fall — to drop
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stock — shares
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. row — to paddle
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bank — for money
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fall — the season
  22. stock — goods
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. temple — a place of worship

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