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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · present · rash · cabinet · clip · bat · bowl · leaves

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rash — hasty
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. clip — a video
  8. drill — army training
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. present — a gift
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rash — a series
  21. bat — the animal
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. drill — the tool

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