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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 124 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bank — for money
  5. race — the arms race
  6. spring — the season
  7. content — happy
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. content — the amount
  10. cap — a hat
  11. kick — in football
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. spring — of water
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. race — humankind
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. race — a contest

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