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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bank — for money
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. race — a contest
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bore — to drill
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. tube — a container
  11. branch — a division
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bank — of a river
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — a break
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. race — humankind
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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