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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. land — ground
  3. spell — letters
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bore — to drill
  6. current — of water
  7. bank — for money
  8. spell — magic
  9. land — to come down
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. current — happening now
  12. bank — of a river
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. current — electric
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. land — a country

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