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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — to confront
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bore — to drill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bank — of a river
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bulb — for light

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