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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 120 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 · stem · present · lash · foot · game · bound · can

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. present — the time now
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bound — tied together
  6. can — a tin
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. present — there
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bound — obliged
  16. game — a match
  17. foot — a measure
  18. drill — a practice
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bound — certain
  21. present — a gift
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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