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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: content · drill · last · foot · fall · rush · racket · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fall — to drop
  3. drill — the tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. drill — a practice
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — to drop
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. content — happy
  13. last — to go on
  14. bank — of a river
  15. content — the amount
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rush — hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. last — finally
  21. fall — the season
  22. last — final
  23. drill — army training
  24. rush — a thrill

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