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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bank — of a river
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. saw — the tool
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. season — of the year
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bank — for money
  10. saw — the tool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. board — to get on
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. season — in sport
  18. club — a group
  19. board — a committee
  20. club — for golf
  21. hand — help
  22. rock — music
  23. bank — for money
  24. bore — to drill

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