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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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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 · lash · racket · stick · file · bowl · shower · field

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. shower — rain
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. field — a subject
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. field — for sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. drill — army training
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. field — farmland
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. file — a tool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. file — a document
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. shower — to wash

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