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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. drill — the tool
  5. face — to confront
  6. court — of law
  7. face — part of the head
  8. suit — in cards
  9. prune — to trim
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. suit — to fit
  15. can — a tin
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fall — to drop
  18. drill — army training
  19. face — to point toward
  20. can — to be able to
  21. prune — to trim
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. can — a tin

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