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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
468
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 · object · drill · cabinet · clip · present · rash · saw

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. object — a thing
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. object — to protest
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rash — hasty
  11. clip — to cut
  12. present — there
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — a series
  15. drill — army training
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. present — the time now
  19. clip — a video
  20. object — an aim
  21. present — a gift
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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