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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: bank · bore · tube · staff · wind · cell · chip · lean

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bank — for money
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. tube — a container
  7. staff — employees
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. chip — to eat
  14. staff — employees
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bank — for money
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. staff — a stick
  24. tube — the underground

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