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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bank — for money
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lean — thin
  7. present — a gift
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lean — to bend
  10. root — of a word
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bank — for money
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. present — there
  18. root — the cause
  19. mark — a trace
  20. root — of a plant
  21. present — the time now
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mate — a partner

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