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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · kick · bore · drill · rush · land · spell · mate

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. spell — letters
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — army training
  9. spell — magic
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mate — a partner
  16. land — a country
  17. mate — to breed
  18. land — ground
  19. spell — a short time
  20. land — to come down
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rush — to hurry

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