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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · fork · cold · mug · date · nail · staff · leaves

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mug — a face
  9. drill — the tool
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fork — in a road
  12. staff — employees
  13. drill — a practice
  14. staff — employees
  15. drill — army training
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. date — the fruit
  21. cold — not warm
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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