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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. season — of the year
  4. rush — hurry
  5. present — the time now
  6. lean — thin
  7. present — there
  8. bore — to tire
  9. land — ground
  10. bank — for money
  11. bore — to drill
  12. land — a country
  13. bank — of a river
  14. present — a gift
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. bank — for money
  19. land — to come down
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. season — in sport

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