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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 116 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 · lash · hand · ball · press · fan · net · bowl

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. hand — help
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ball — a dance
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ball — a great time
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. net — for catching
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hand — part of the body

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