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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bank — for money
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. chair — a leader
  12. drill — army training
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spell — letters
  15. wound — an injury
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bank — of a river
  18. spell — magic

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