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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.

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: drill · march · bound · mark · fan · wake · fork · rest

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. march — the month
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bound — certain
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rest — a break
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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