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

Word bank: roll · bank · tear · bore · stick · cell

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bank — of a river
  4. tear — to rip
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bank — for money
  8. tear — from crying
  9. roll — a cake
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bore — to drill
  13. roll — a list
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cell — in biology
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bank — for money

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