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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bank — for money
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. spell — a short time
  8. tube — the underground
  9. sharp — clever
  10. kick — in football
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chip — for betting
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. tube — a container
  19. spell — letters
  20. perch — the fish
  21. spell — magic
  22. drill — a practice
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. chip — to eat

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