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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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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: object · bank · safe · row · deal · band · drill · dip

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. object — to protest
  3. row — a line
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. deal — to handle
  6. drill — a practice
  7. object — an aim
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. drill — army training
  10. bank — for money
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. object — a thing
  14. bank — for money
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. drill — the tool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bank — of a river
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. dip — to sink
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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