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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
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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 · season · bank · bound · date · sharp · rash · lean

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. season — of the year
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. season — in sport
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. lean — thin
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bound — certain
  14. date — the fruit
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bank — of a river
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lean — to bend
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bound — tied together
  23. drill — army training
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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