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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bore — to tire
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bore — to drill
  13. content — the amount
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. swing — in golf
  16. staff — employees
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to click
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. swing — music

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