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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bank — for money
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bore — to drill
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bank — for money
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cabinet — ministers

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