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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: drill · kick · lash · hand · band · cabinet · wake · mark

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mark — a grade
  4. drill — a practice
  5. kick — in football
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. drill — the tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. band — a ring
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. drill — army training
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wake — a trail
  21. band — a music group
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. hand — help

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