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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: lean · ground · object · branch · saw · plane · hand · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. object — an aim
  9. ground — crushed
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. lean — to bend
  15. drill — army training
  16. ground — the earth
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. branch — a division
  20. object — a thing
  21. lean — thin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. drill — the tool
  24. object — to protest

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