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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 120 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 · spell · racket · chest · cabinet · can · mate · drill

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. can — a tin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. can — a tin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mate — to breed
  10. saw — the tool
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chest — a box
  16. mate — a friend
  17. can — to be able to
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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