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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · saw · fine · face · drill · squash · staff · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. face — part of the head
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. squash — the sport
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. drill — a practice
  11. prune — to trim
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fine — all right
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fine — high quality
  18. face — to point toward
  19. staff — employees
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. face — to confront
  22. squash — to crush
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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