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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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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bank — for money
  7. shower — rain
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fall — to drop
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bank — for money
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. drill — army training
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. current — of water
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mark — a trace

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