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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: drill · lean · foot · spell · lash · bowl · arm · wound

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. spell — a short time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. drill — army training
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. drill — the tool
  14. spell — magic
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. spell — letters
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. drill — a practice
  24. arm — part of the body

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