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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bank — for money
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. roll — a list
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mug — a face
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bank — for money
  15. mug — to rob
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. drill — army training
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bore — to tire
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — for digging
  24. roll — on a roll

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