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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.

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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: straw · cabinet · face · rush · pass · drill · bank · mouse

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bank — of a river
  3. drill — army training
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. face — to confront
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bank — for money
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bank — for money
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pass — a permit

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