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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: wave · fan · can · coach · mark · march · drill · squash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. squash — the sport
  3. drill — a practice
  4. can — a tin
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mark — a grade
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. march — the month
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. march — music
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. march — the month
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — a trace

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