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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 120 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: can · last · lie · drill · spell · cap · march · plane

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. drill — army training
  3. plane — a tool
  4. last — final
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. can — to be able to
  8. march — the month
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cap — a lid
  11. last — to go on
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cap — a hat
  17. last — finally
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cap — of ice
  20. spell — magic
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — a practice

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