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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. tube — the underground
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bank — for money
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bat — the animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. tube — a container
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wave — of the sea

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