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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. hand — in cards
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bank — of a river
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. spring — the season
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wake — a trail
  18. spring — of water
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pop — to visit
  22. drill — army training
  23. bank — for money
  24. hand — help

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