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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. bank — for money
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bank — for money
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chest — a box
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. ground — a position
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chair — a leader
  16. sharp — clever
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ground — crushed
  20. chest — of your body
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. deal — to handle
  23. sharp — exactly
  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