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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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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: sharp · drill · rush · ground · kid · bank · wave · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bank — for money
  4. sharp — clever
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ground — the earth
  8. kid — child
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ground — crushed
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ground — a position
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. drill — army training
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. drill — a practice
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rush — a thrill

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