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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: suit · drill · bank · perch · shower · field · wound · fan

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. drill — army training
  5. field — for sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. shower — to wash
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bank — of a river
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. field — a subject
  13. wound — an injury
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. shower — rain
  16. wound — an injury
  17. field — farmland
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. suit — to fit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bank — for money
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — the tool

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