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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mate — a partner
  3. drill — the tool
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bank — for money
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mate — to breed
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spring — of water
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. drill — army training
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pass — a permit
  24. tear — to rip

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