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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bank — for money
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bat — the animal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pass — a permit
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bank — for money
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bank — of a river
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. band — a music group
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. band — a ring
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. kick — in football
  24. bore — to tire

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