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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: bank · bear · squash · craft · drill · date · can · shower

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bear — the animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bank — for money
  7. can — a tin
  8. date — the fruit
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. squash — to crush
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. drill — a practice
  15. craft — a skill
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bank — for money
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. drill — army training
  21. bear — the animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bank — of a river
  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