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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: saw · wind · foot · drill · bank · dip · deal · pit

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. foot — a measure
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. drill — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bank — for money
  21. drill — a practice
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. drill — army training
  24. wind — to turn a key

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