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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: present · chair · pass · wave · roll · bank · bore · dip

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. present — the time now
  3. bank — of a river
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bank — for money
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pass — a permit
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bank — for money
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. roll — a list
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. present — there
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. present — a gift
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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