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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 · band · wake · suit · rock · foot · tear · bass

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. band — a ring
  5. rock — music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. tear — to rip
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wake — a trail
  21. band — a music group
  22. suit — to fit
  23. drill — army training
  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