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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. snap — to click
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stock — shares
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mug — a cup
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. drill — army training
  13. track — a song
  14. mug — a face
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. track — a path
  17. stock — goods
  18. bore — to drill
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. drill — a practice
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bank — for money
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bank — for money

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