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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: can · face · drill · bank · hand · roll · mouse · track

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. can — a tin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — a list
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. face — to confront
  12. drill — army training
  13. bank — for money
  14. track — a song
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bank — for money
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bank — of a river
  19. hand — in cards
  20. track — a path
  21. face — part of the head
  22. hand — help
  23. drill — a practice
  24. can — a tin

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