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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: bowl · tear · wind · drill · firm · can

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. tear — from crying
  5. drill — army training
  6. tear — from crying
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. firm — a company
  10. wind — moving air
  11. firm — decided
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. firm — steady
  18. tear — to rip

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