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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. present — a gift
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. present — the time now
  8. mine — for digging
  9. net — for catching
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bore — to tire
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. present — there
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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