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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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468
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 · bank · drill · tear · rash · bark · can · racket

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rush — hurry
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. drill — army training
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bank — for money
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bank — of a river
  24. tear — to rip

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