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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 116 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: pop · plane · kid · bank · bowl · last · drill · staff

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. drill — the tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. drill — army training
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pop — music
  7. kid — child
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pop — soda
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. drill — a practice
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. bank — for money
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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