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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: sharp · drill · bowl · wave · can · land · chest · rash

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. can — to be able to
  4. chest — a box
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. can — a tin
  8. land — a country
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. drill — army training
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. chest — of your body
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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