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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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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: bowl · drill · rock · spring · leaves · fork · firm · fall

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. spring — of water
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. drill — army training
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rock — music
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. spring — a coil
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. spring — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. bowl — a dish

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