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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: shower · ground · bore · bank · lie · key · march · pit

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ground — the earth
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bore — to drill
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pit — in a race
  11. key — in music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. march — the month
  14. bank — for money
  15. ground — a position
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — rain
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ground — crushed
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. key — for a lock

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