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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 120 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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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: swing · bank · drill · patient · bowl · ball · fall · cell

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. drill — a practice
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bank — for money
  7. ball — a great time
  8. swing — to play on
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. drill — army training
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. swing — in golf
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ball — a dance
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bank — of a river

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