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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: kick · racket · bound · bowl · shower · tube · spell · drill

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. spell — a short time
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bound — certain
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. spell — letters
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. kick — in football
  17. spell — magic
  18. shower — rain
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. drill — the tool
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bound — tied together
  24. drill — army training

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