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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. squash — the sport
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. firm — decided
  6. bank — for money
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. season — in sport
  9. rush — hurry
  10. firm — steady
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wound — an injury
  13. season — of the year
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. land — a country
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bank — of a river
  18. land — to come down
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bank — for money
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. firm — a company
  23. land — ground
  24. squash — to crush

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