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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bowl · row · drill · rash · dip · cap · band · can

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. drill — the tool
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rash — a series
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. can — a tin
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. row — a line
  16. can — a tin
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rash — hasty
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. can — to be able to
  24. row — to paddle

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