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

Word bank: drill · squash · bank · fork · kick · shower · wind · bowl

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wind — moving air
  4. kick — in football
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bank — for money
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fork — in a road
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bank — for money
  17. drill — army training
  18. shower — rain
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. squash — the sport
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. drill — a practice

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