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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 116 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 · stand · lash · bank · present · cue · mine

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stand — to bear
  5. present — a gift
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. present — the time now
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bank — of a river
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mine — for digging
  20. present — there
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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