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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · saw · date · root · wound · bank · bore · face

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bore — to tire
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bore — to drill
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wound — an injury
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. saw — the tool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bank — for money
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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