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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — a short time
  5. object — to protest
  6. spell — magic
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. last — to go on
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. object — an aim
  11. staff — employees
  12. last — finally
  13. bank — for money
  14. bore — to tire
  15. last — final
  16. track — a path
  17. spell — letters
  18. staff — a stick
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bore — to drill
  23. object — a thing
  24. bank — of a river

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