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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 120 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 · rash · bore · mug · bank · craft · spell · tube

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mug — a face
  3. craft — a skill
  4. present — a gift
  5. rash — hasty
  6. present — there
  7. spell — magic
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. tube — a container
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tube — the underground
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. spell — a short time
  19. craft — boats
  20. present — the time now
  21. spell — letters
  22. rash — a series
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bore — to tire

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