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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mine — for digging
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bank — for money
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bore — to drill
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. spring — of water
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. row — a line
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bank — for money
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. spring — a coil
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. spring — the season
  24. ruler — for measuring

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