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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.

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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: bat · lean · squash · cell · drill · wave · bowl · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lean — to bend
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. drill — army training
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. lean — thin
  18. cell — a phone
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cell — in biology
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bowl — a dish

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