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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spell — letters
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bore — to tire
  11. track — a song
  12. march — the month
  13. bound — certain
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — tied together
  16. march — the month
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — a path
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. march — music
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mug — a face

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