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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spring — of water
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — to tire
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pop — soda
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fall — the season
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spring — the season
  17. bank — for money
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pop — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. shower — rain
  24. bank — for money

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