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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bank — for money
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bank — of a river
  19. tube — a container
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — for digging
  24. tube — the underground

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