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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bank — for money
  3. bound — certain
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bass — the fish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wake — a trail
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fall — the season
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bass — low music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wake — before a funeral

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