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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: bear · straw · bore · squash · date · stick · mouse · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. squash — to crush
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bore — to tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bore — to drill

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