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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. club — a group
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bass — low music
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bank — for money
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. drill — army training
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tube — a container
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mark — a trace
  16. club — for golf
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mark — a grade
  20. kick — in football
  21. bank — for money
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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