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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 120 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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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 · wind · dip · root · club · bank · hide · row

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. root — of a plant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. root — of a word
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bank — for money
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bank — for money
  18. club — for dancing
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bank — of a river
  23. row — a line
  24. root — the cause

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