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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: pop · bank · content · march · saw · bowl · bore · lie

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bank — for money
  7. pop — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. march — the month
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. content — happy
  15. bank — of a river
  16. march — music
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pop — to visit
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. content — the amount
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — the month
  24. bank — for money

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