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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: face · charge · kid · drill · pop · nail · net · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. drill — army training
  3. bank — for money
  4. charge — electricity
  5. face — to confront
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. net — after costs
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kid — child
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. face — part of the head
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — soda
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. nail — for a hammer

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