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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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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — a short time
  5. roll — a cake
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bank — of a river
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. drill — army training
  11. spell — letters
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tube — a container
  14. spell — magic
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. tube — the underground
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. roll — a list
  23. stand — to bear
  24. temple — a place of worship

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