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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: mark · bore · dip · pass · hand · face · season · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bank — for money
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mark — a trace
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. hand — help
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pass — a permit
  21. face — to confront
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. hand — in cards

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