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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · saw · capital · bay · bank · bat · spell · bore

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. capital — money
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bat — the animal
  6. content — happy
  7. saw — the tool
  8. capital — a city
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bank — for money
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bore — to tire
  13. content — the amount
  14. spell — a short time
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bank — for money
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. content — videos and posts

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