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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bank — for money
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. season — of the year
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. key — in music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mate — to breed
  15. season — in sport
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bank — of a river
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — a partner
  24. safe — out of danger

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