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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: mark · bulb · bank · season · mate · drill · chest · last

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. last — to go on
  3. chest — a box
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bank — for money
  8. season — of the year
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mark — a trace
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bank — of a river
  16. last — final
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. drill — army training
  20. last — finally
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. season — in sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. mate — a partner

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