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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bank — of a river
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — of water
  8. bore — to tire
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. sharp — clever
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. roll — a cake
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spring — the season
  23. fine — all right
  24. roll — a list

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