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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: shower · march · can · kick · rock · mark · drill · spell

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spell — letters
  4. march — the month
  5. shower — rain
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rock — a stone
  9. kick — in football
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spell — magic
  13. drill — army training
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. shower — to wash
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — a grade
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. can — a tin
  20. spell — a short time
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. march — music
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rock — music

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