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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: ball · band · toast · mark · stand · dip · drill · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. dip — to sink
  4. drill — a practice
  5. fall — to drop
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. stand — to bear
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ball — a dance
  20. band — a music group
  21. ball — a great time
  22. toast — bread
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. band — a ring

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