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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 120 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: cap · lash · deal · cue · bound · march · drill · land

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. land — a country
  6. bound — tied together
  7. land — ground
  8. drill — army training
  9. deal — to handle
  10. march — the month
  11. bound — certain
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. land — to come down
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. march — the month
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cap — a hat
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bound — obliged
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cap — a lid

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