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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. saw — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wind — moving air
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. drill — army training
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fall — to drop

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