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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. game — wild animals
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bank — of a river
  9. hand — in cards
  10. suit — in cards
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. game — a match
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. press — to push
  21. suit — to fit
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hand — help
  24. press — newspapers

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