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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bore — to drill
  4. field — a subject
  5. bank — for money
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bass — low music
  14. field — for sport
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bore — to tire
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — the fish
  22. field — farmland
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rush — to hurry

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