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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 · arm · suit · capital · calf · object · shower · fan

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. suit — clothes
  4. capital — a city
  5. drill — the tool
  6. capital — money
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. suit — to fit
  11. drill — a practice
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. object — to protest
  16. suit — in cards
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — to wash
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. shower — rain
  23. object — an aim
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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