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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: cabinet · mark · stick · can · wave · drill · bound · roll

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. can — a tin
  4. bound — certain
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. drill — the tool
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. roll — a list
  17. drill — army training
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. roll — a cake

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