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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. dip — to sink
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bank — for money
  5. tube — a container
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. march — the month
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bank — of a river
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bore — to tire
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bat — the animal
  24. dip — a sauce

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