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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: mark · drill · stand · bowl · calf · last · lean · march

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. march — music
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. drill — army training
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — the month
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lean — to bend
  18. last — final
  19. march — the month
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. last — to go on
  23. lean — thin
  24. mark — a grade

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