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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: drill · straw · bank · nail · tube · bowl · staff · fan

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. drill — the tool
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bank — of a river
  11. staff — employees
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. drill — army training
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bank — for money
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bank — for money

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