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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bore — to tire
  7. face — to confront
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bank — for money
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. season — of the year
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. net — after costs
  16. face — part of the head
  17. kid — child
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ground — a position
  21. season — in sport
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bay — a horse colour

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