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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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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: staff · hand · fine · branch · bank · bore · deal · cold

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bank — for money
  10. cold — not warm
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hand — help
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. staff — employees
  19. cold — an illness
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fine — high quality
  24. hand — in cards

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