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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. drill — army training
  3. bank — for money
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rock — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. drill — the tool

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