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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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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 · file · spell · trunk · bank · bass · swing · present

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. swing — to play on
  3. file — a document
  4. bass — low music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. present — the time now
  7. file — a line of people
  8. drill — army training
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bank — for money
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bank — of a river
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. spell — magic
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. swing — in golf
  19. drill — a practice
  20. swing — music
  21. file — a tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bass — the fish

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