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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: firm · drill · rest · row · mouse · bank · tube · fan

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rest — a break
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bank — for money
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. firm — steady
  9. row — to paddle
  10. drill — a practice
  11. firm — decided
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. row — a line
  18. tube — a container
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — what's left
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. drill — army training
  24. row — a quarrel

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