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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fan — a supporter

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