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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: row · pop · suit · drill · staff · face · bank · roll

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. face — part of the head
  3. drill — army training
  4. pop — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. suit — clothes
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. pop — soda
  11. suit — to fit
  12. staff — employees
  13. drill — a practice
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. staff — employees
  17. pop — to visit
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bank — of a river
  20. drill — the tool
  21. staff — a stick
  22. suit — in cards
  23. roll — a cake
  24. row — a line

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