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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — a break
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — a weight
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rest — what's left

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