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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wind — moving air
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bat — the animal
  9. root — the cause
  10. bank — for money
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mug — a face
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. root — of a plant
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. root — of a word
  20. bank — of a river
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mug — to rob

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