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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. craft — boats
  5. spell — a short time
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. board — a committee
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. bank — of a river
  14. capital — money
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bank — for money
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — letters
  22. board — to get on
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spell — magic

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