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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. drill — army training
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — to trim
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. drill — a practice
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. saw — the tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. branch — a division
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pass — a permit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. perch — the fish

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