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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 116 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bank — of a river
  5. march — music
  6. stem — to come from
  7. band — a music group
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bank — for money
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. march — the month
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wound — an injury
  21. march — the month
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bank — for money
  24. can — a tin

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