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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bank — for money
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. plane — a tool
  9. spring — the season
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. spring — a coil
  13. can — a tin
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. bank — of a river
  18. last — to go on
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. spring — of water
  23. bore — to drill
  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