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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tube — a container
  3. drill — army training
  4. firm — decided
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wind — moving air
  10. drill — a practice
  11. firm — steady
  12. bank — of a river
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. land — a country
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bank — for money
  18. wind — moving air
  19. firm — a company
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. drill — the tool
  24. tube — the underground

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