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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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468
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: lash · squash · ruler · row · bank · mine · bore · spring

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bore — to tire
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. spring — the season
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. row — a line
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bank — for money

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