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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
468
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: fork · march · drill · cabinet · bulb · saw · fine · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fine — high quality
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. march — music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fine — all right
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. drill — a practice
  15. march — the month
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. march — the month
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fork — in a road

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