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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.

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: rock · drill · leaves · bank · snap · ball · sharp · rash

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rash — a series
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rock — music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rock — a stone
  12. sharp — clever
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. drill — a practice
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. drill — army training
  17. bank — for money
  18. rash — hasty
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bank — for money
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. drill — the tool

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