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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: rush · spring · bank · drill · hand · chip · date · wave

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. drill — army training
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — the tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bank — for money
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chip — for betting
  24. drill — a practice

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