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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 120 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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. clip — a video
  9. bank — of a river
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — the tool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. clip — to cut
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bank — for money
  24. hide — animal skin

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