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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. content — happy
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bank — for money
  6. can — to be able to
  7. content — the amount
  8. bank — for money
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. track — a song
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bark — to shout
  17. can — a tin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. track — a path
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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