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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: pitcher · cabinet · saw · cap · stick · drill · prune · face

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cap — of ice
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cap — a hat
  6. face — to confront
  7. drill — army training
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — the tool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. prune — to trim
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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