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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · drill · rock · bore · race · bank

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rock — music
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — the tool
  8. race — humankind
  9. present — a gift
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rock — a stone
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. present — the time now
  16. race — a contest
  17. bank — for money
  18. drill — army training

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