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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. band — a ring
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mine — for digging
  13. present — the time now
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wound — an injury
  18. present — there
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pit — a hole
  24. band — a music group

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