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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · drill · present · chair · bank · cap

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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 — of a river
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. present — the time now
  6. cap — a hat
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. drill — army training
  9. chair — a leader
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — there
  13. bank — for money
  14. cap — of ice
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cap — a lid
  17. present — a gift
  18. leaves — lets stay

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