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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.

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 · perch · wound · object · capital · rash · bass · drill

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bank — of a river
  4. drill — army training
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. capital — money
  9. bank — for money
  10. bass — the fish
  11. object — an aim
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. rash — hasty
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rash — a series
  18. drill — the tool
  19. object — to protest
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bank — for money
  23. bass — low music
  24. object — a thing

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