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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stand — to bear
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. field — for sport
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bank — for money
  24. pound — a weight

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