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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: dip · date · drill · rash · kick · present · wound · bowl

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. dip — to sink
  3. drill — army training
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rash — a series
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. present — there
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. drill — a practice
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. drill — the tool
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bowl — a dish

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