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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: bank · drill · file · nail · bass · coach · fall · pit

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — for money
  3. pit — a hole
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bank — for money
  6. fall — the season
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. file — a document
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bass — low music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bass — the fish
  13. drill — army training
  14. file — a tool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fall — to drop
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. file — a line of people

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