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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: can · calf · cabinet · bowl · hand · stem · roll · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. drill — a practice
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hand — help
  8. roll — a cake
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. can — a tin
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. roll — a list
  18. can — to be able to
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. calf — of the leg

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