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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bore — to drill
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rock — a stone
  7. degree — from a university
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bore — to tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. last — final
  14. rock — music
  15. last — finally
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. tube — the underground
  23. last — to go on
  24. tube — in a tire

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