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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: rush · bank · dip · key · face · pitcher · bass · bore

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bass — low music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. face — to confront
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. face — to point toward
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bore — to drill
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. key — in music

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