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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: drill · foot · bear · cold · season · bank · craft · mark

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cold — not warm
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bank — for money
  7. craft — boats
  8. mark — a grade
  9. craft — a skill
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bank — of a river
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bear — the animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. drill — army training

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