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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: bear · drill · net · current · bank · last · mark · spell

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. net — for catching
  3. bank — for money
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. last — to go on
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. last — finally
  11. drill — army training
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. current — electric
  14. bank — of a river
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — after costs
  19. spell — magic
  20. current — of water
  21. bear — the animal
  22. last — final
  23. current — happening now
  24. drill — a practice

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