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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: rock · saw · fine · drill · lean · cabinet · bark · cap

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fine — all right
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rock — a stone
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rock — music
  14. lean — thin
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lean — to bend
  20. drill — army training
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. drill — the tool

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