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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pop — music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bank — for money
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. pop — soda
  12. bank — of a river
  13. swing — in golf
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cold — not warm
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bore — to tire
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cold — an illness
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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