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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 116 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: bore · wind · stick · staff · chair · bank · wave · spell

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bank — for money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. staff — employees
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wind — moving air
  16. staff — employees
  17. bank — for money
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. spell — a short time

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