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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a great time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bank — for money
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. drill — army training
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ball — a dance

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