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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 · lean · squash · march · spell · ball · calf · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lean — thin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a dance
  8. march — music
  9. spell — a short time
  10. march — the month
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. spell — magic
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lean — to bend
  23. spell — letters
  24. squash — the sport

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