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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 · cabinet · sharp · lash · wake · last · pitcher · cap

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. last — finally
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. drill — army training
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. last — final
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. last — to go on
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wake — a trail
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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