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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: toast · snap · bat · hide · bowl · spell · drill · temple

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. spell — a short time
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. toast — bread
  6. drill — army training
  7. spell — letters
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. spell — magic
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. snap — to click
  19. drill — the tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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