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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. firm — steady
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bank — for money
  7. spell — magic
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. net — for catching
  11. firm — a company
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. net — in sport
  14. toast — bread
  15. spell — letters
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. net — after costs
  18. spell — a short time
  19. firm — decided
  20. bank — for money
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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