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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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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: key · bore · bank · bulb · tube · saw · lean · chest

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. saw — the tool
  5. key — in music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bank — for money
  10. lean — thin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chest — a box
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bore — to drill
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bore — to tire
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lean — to bend

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