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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · mate · row · drill · rash · stick · ball · cabinet

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — low music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mate — to breed
  8. drill — a practice
  9. row — a line
  10. rash — a series
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. drill — army training
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rash — hasty

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