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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bank — for money
  4. sharp — clever
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bank — of a river
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chest — a box
  10. track — a path
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. track — to keep track
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. drill — army training
  18. fine — all right
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bank — for money
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. track — a song
  24. sharp — exactly

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