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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. ball — a dance
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bank — for money
  7. spell — magic
  8. race — a contest
  9. file — a tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. race — humankind
  13. mug — a face
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mug — to rob
  17. file — a document
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ball — a great time
  23. race — the arms race
  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