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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: row · key · drill · fine · mark · shower · field · lash

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. key — in music
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fine — high quality
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fine — all right
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. drill — the tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. mark — a grade
  22. drill — army training
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. shower — rain

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