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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: fork · track · bowl · rash · spring · drill · fan · calf

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spring — the season
  10. track — a song
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. track — a path
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. spring — of water
  24. drill — a practice

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