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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bank — of a river
  3. present — the time now
  4. face — part of the head
  5. present — a gift
  6. bass — low music
  7. content — the amount
  8. drill — a practice
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — there
  13. sharp — clever
  14. face — to confront
  15. content — happy
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. drill — the tool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — the fish

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