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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: drill · wound · suit · wind · bass · bowl · rock · nail

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wound — an injury
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bass — the fish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wind — moving air
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wind — moving air
  20. drill — army training
  21. rock — music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bass — low music

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