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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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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: bank · shower · present · bore · sharp · kick · snap · bowl

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. present — the time now
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bank — for money
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bore — to tire
  13. shower — rain
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bank — of a river
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bank — for money
  24. bowl — to roll

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