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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bank — for money
  5. key — for a lock
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. key — in music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bore — to drill
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. key — the most important part
  20. can — a tin
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bore — to tire

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