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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bank — for money
  6. lean — thin
  7. bore — to drill
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bank — for money
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bank — of a river
  22. face — to confront
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lean — to rest against

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