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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: bank · drill · temple · straw · pitcher · rash · roll · season

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — of the year
  15. rash — a series
  16. roll — a list
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. drill — army training
  20. season — in sport
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. drill — a practice
  24. roll — a cake

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