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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 · spring · kick · mate · bank · rush · bore · cabinet

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fine — high quality
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fine — all right
  14. spring — the season
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. kick — in football
  21. bore — to drill
  22. spring — of water
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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