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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bank — of a river
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wind — moving air
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bulb — for light
  12. plane — a tool
  13. season — of the year
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bank — for money
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. snap — to click
  20. bank — for money
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. plane — in geometry

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