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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · drill · bass · cold · nail · bowl · wake · tube

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. drill — the tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cold — not warm
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cold — an illness
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bass — low music
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bank — for money
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. tube — a container

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