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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.

Words on the sheet
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: wound · bank · chest · cabinet · squash · rush · fork · drill

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. drill — army training
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fork — in a road
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bank — for money
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bank — for money

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