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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: last · stand · fork · cabinet · wake · saw · face · drill

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stand — to bear
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. drill — a practice
  10. saw — the tool
  11. last — final
  12. wake — a trail
  13. last — to go on
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. last — finally
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. drill — army training
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stand — for spectators

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