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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: cabinet · rest · calf · fine · fork · drill · pitcher · saw

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. drill — army training
  3. fork — in a road
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rest — a break
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rest — what's left
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fork — a garden tool

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