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

Word bank: band · drill · fork · ruler · fall · bear

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fork — in a road
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bear — the animal
  6. band — a music group
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. drill — army training
  15. fall — the season
  16. band — a ring
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. 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