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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: foot · can · drill · arm · row · hand · mug · mine

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hand — help
  9. mug — a face
  10. mine — for digging
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. can — a tin
  15. drill — a practice
  16. can — a tin
  17. mug — a cup
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. row — a line
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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