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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: hand · lean · row · prune · drill · cabinet · wound · toast

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. drill — a practice
  7. toast — bread
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wound — an injury
  13. prune — to trim
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. hand — in cards
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. drill — army training
  22. hand — help
  23. row — a line
  24. cabinet — ministers

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