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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bank — for money
  10. mark — a grade
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cell — in biology
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cold — not warm
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fine — all right
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bank — of a river

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