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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bank — for money
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — help
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hand — in cards
  23. capital — a city
  24. rush — hurry

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