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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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Word bank
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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: drill · fall · tear · pit · fork · mug

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pit — in a race
  4. drill — army training
  5. fall — the season
  6. mug — a cup
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pit — a hole
  9. drill — a practice
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pit — a fruit stone

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