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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: arm · mine · foot · dip · drill · wound · cabinet · bank

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bank — of a river
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. drill — a practice
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bank — for money
  21. drill — army training
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bank — for money

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