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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — for money
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bass — low music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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