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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: band · kick · drill · spell · suit · present · pass · sharp

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. drill — a practice
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pass — a permit
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. spell — magic
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. sharp — clever
  15. spell — a short time
  16. kick — in football
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. spell — letters
  20. drill — the tool
  21. band — a music group
  22. suit — clothes
  23. drill — army training
  24. kick — with a 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