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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 120 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: kick · stand · saw · fork · cap · drill · bay · deal

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. drill — a practice
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. drill — army training
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cap — a lid
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kick — in football

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