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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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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: bass · fan · drill · bank · bowl · stick · cell · bay

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. drill — army training
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bass — low music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — for money
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bank — for money
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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