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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: lean · drill · kid · rock · bank · bass · cold · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. pop — music
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bank — of a river
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. lean — thin
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pop — soda
  16. cold — not warm
  17. drill — army training
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rock — music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rock — to move gently
  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