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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 · fine · lean

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

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fall — the season
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lean — thin
  12. band — a music group
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. band — a ring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fine — all right

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