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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: mug · pitcher · wind · club · rule · snap · drill · bank

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bank — for money
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rule — government
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bank — for money
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. drill — army training

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