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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: bowl · foot · bound · chest · mark · spell · lash · drill

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. drill — army training
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. chest — of your body
  8. drill — the tool
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bound — certain
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chest — of your body
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chest — a box
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bound — obliged
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mark — a grade

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