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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. charge — a price
  3. bank — for money
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bank — for money
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mark — a grade
  17. charge — in control
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. field — a subject
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pass — to spend time
  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