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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · fan · date · dip · kid · bass · drill · bank

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bank — of a river
  4. drill — a practice
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bank — for money
  8. squash — to crush
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. dip — to sink
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — low music
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. date — the fruit
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. dip — to dunk

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