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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — thin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. lean — to rest against

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