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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — to come down
  4. bore — to drill
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ground — crushed
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ground — the earth
  11. land — a country
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spell — magic
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bank — of a river
  18. land — ground
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ground — a position
  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