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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
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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: last · pitcher · leaves · roll · drill · arm · bank · cell

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. drill — army training
  3. last — final
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. drill — a practice
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cell — in biology
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. last — finally
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. last — to go on

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