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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · sharp · can · rash · land · bowl · spell · tube

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mark — a grade
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. land — to come down
  6. rash — a series
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spell — letters
  9. sharp — clever
  10. tube — a container
  11. land — a country
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mark — a trace
  15. spell — magic
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. can — a tin
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. spell — a short time
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. tube — the underground
  23. can — a tin
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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