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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bank — for money
  3. current — of water
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bore — to drill
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. current — happening now
  10. dip — to sink
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. current — electric
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. kid — to tease

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