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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. kick — in football
  4. bank — of a river
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bank — for money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pitch — completely
  12. spring — the season
  13. bore — to tire
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — a coil
  18. tube — a container
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spring — of water

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