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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: sharp · calf · drill · mine · saw · leaves · lean · mouse

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lean — to bend
  3. sharp — clever
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — thin
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. drill — the tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. drill — a practice
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. drill — army training

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