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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: pop · wind · drill · craft · lash · stand · bank · last

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. bank — for money
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pop — music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stand — to bear
  21. last — finally
  22. wind — moving air
  23. drill — army training
  24. lash — an eyelash

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