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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ground — crushed
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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