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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: drill · straw · bank · degree · mark · row · wake · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. drill — army training
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. degree — an amount
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bank — of a river
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bank — for money
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — a trail
  24. row — a line

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