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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. suit — in cards
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. drill — a practice
  7. degree — temperature
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — for money
  10. suit — to fit
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. spell — a short time
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. degree — from a university
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. spell — magic
  18. suit — clothes
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. drill — army training
  24. spell — letters

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