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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: field · straw · leaves · bank · saw · chip · bore · mate

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. saw — the tool
  5. field — a subject
  6. bore — to tire
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. field — for sport
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bank — of a river
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. field — farmland
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. chip — in a computer

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