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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: drill · lie · land · rush · bay · bound · spell · bank

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bound — certain
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bank — for money
  13. drill — the tool
  14. spell — letters
  15. land — ground
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. land — to come down
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. drill — army training
  24. spell — magic

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