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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · last · kick · pit · drill · fan · band · leaves

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. last — finally
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. drill — army training
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pit — a hole
  7. last — to go on
  8. band — a ring
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. drill — a practice
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — in a race
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. last — final
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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