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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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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 · saw · drill · foot · band · branch · bore · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. band — a ring
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — the tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bore — to tire
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. saw — the tool
  17. branch — a division
  18. drill — a practice
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. band — a music group
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. drill — army training

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