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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: bear · march · fork · drill · cabinet · bank · saw · arm

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. drill — army training
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. march — the month
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. march — music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bank — for money
  16. saw — the tool
  17. march — the month
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. arm — a part of something

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