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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 116 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 · leaves · fan · rest · saw · rock · drill · nail

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rest — a break
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rest — what's left
  7. drill — a practice
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. drill — army training
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rock — a stone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lean — thin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rest — what's left
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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