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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. branch — a division
  22. stand — to bear
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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