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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pit · drill · mine · lash · saw · mug · key · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. key — the most important part
  3. drill — a practice
  4. saw — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. roll — a cake
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mug — to rob
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. roll — a list
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mine — for digging
  24. key — in music

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