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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: spring · foot · stick · rush · bank · mouse · land · bore

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — the season
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. land — ground
  13. bank — for money
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. land — a country
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bore — to drill
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spring — of water
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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