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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. tube — the underground
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. drill — the tool
  8. chip — to eat
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bank — for money
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. tube — a container
  17. drill — army training
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bank — for money
  24. chip — for betting

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