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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: kid · bore · racket · lean · bank · mate · clip · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. object — an aim
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lean — to bend
  6. kid — child
  7. object — a thing
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lean — thin
  15. clip — for paper
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bank — of a river
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mate — a partner
  20. kid — to tease
  21. clip — a video
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. object — to protest
  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