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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: snap · wound · bore · bank · ball · coach · rest · field

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wound — an injury
  4. field — farmland
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rest — a break
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — for sport
  12. bore — to drill
  13. snap — to click
  14. field — a subject
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ball — a dance
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rest — what's left

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