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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: saw · row · firm · tear · roll · drill · bass · pop

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. firm — decided
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bass — the fish
  6. row — a line
  7. saw — the tool
  8. drill — the tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — a list
  12. firm — steady
  13. pop — music
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pop — to visit
  18. firm — a company
  19. bass — low music
  20. pop — soda
  21. tear — to rip
  22. drill — army training
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tear — from crying

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