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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bound — certain
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bank — for money
  15. season — of the year
  16. bank — for money
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. season — in sport
  22. bank — of a river
  23. hand — help
  24. bound — obliged

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