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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: roll · march · straw · fine · cabinet · drill · dip · deal

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. march — music
  6. drill — the tool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. roll — a list
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. roll — a cake
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — all right
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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