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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: bore · kick · ground · squash · bulb · last · bank · fall

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. squash — the sport
  3. kick — in football
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — crushed
  9. last — final
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — finally
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bank — for money
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bank — of a river
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. last — to go on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. squash — to crush

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