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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bank — for money
  4. saw — the tool
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bank — of a river
  8. craft — boats
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. drill — army training
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bank — for money
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — low music
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bass — the fish
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. shower — rain

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