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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: rest · ruler · wound · content · mine · bore · bank · stock

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — happy
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — goods
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — a break
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mine — for digging
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stock — shares
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — belonging to me

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