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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bank — for money
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bore — to drill
  7. shower — to wash
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cap — of ice
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. shower — rain
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. cap — a lid
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bank — for money
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bore — to tire
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. trunk — of a car

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