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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: bank · clip · bass · nail · bore · date · leaves · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. clip — for paper
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pop — soda
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bass — the fish
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bass — low music
  16. bank — for money
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pop — music
  19. clip — a video
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. date — on the calendar

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