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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: stand · bowl · shower · drill · nail · wake · band · bore

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. shower — to wash

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