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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: fine · game · prune · bank · bowl · straw · bore · snap

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fine — all right
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. game — a match
  5. bank — for money
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fine — high quality
  10. prune — to trim
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bank — of a river
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. snap — to click
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bank — for money
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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