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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · mug · date · bank · march · hide · mine · drill

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — a measure
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. drill — army training
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. drill — a practice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mug — a face
  17. march — the month
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. march — music
  20. mug — a cup
  21. march — the month
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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