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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bank — for money
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. chip — for betting
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bank — for money
  15. snap — to click
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. net — after costs
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bore — to drill
  22. net — in sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. net — for catching

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