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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — farmland
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — to drill
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. field — a subject
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bank — for money
  19. field — for sport
  20. mine — for digging
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bore — to tire

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