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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.

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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: bass · bank · toast · drill · shower · bore · stem · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bass — the fish
  3. drill — army training
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bank — for money
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bass — low music
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bank — of a river
  13. drill — a practice
  14. shower — rain
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. shower — to wash
  17. kick — in football
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bank — for money
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bore — to drill
  24. toast — bread

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