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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: shower · bowl · wound · drill · bay · wake · bank · net

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. net — for catching
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. shower — rain
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. net — after costs
  12. bank — for money
  13. wound — an injury
  14. drill — army training
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. drill — the tool
  23. net — in sport
  24. bay — a horse colour

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