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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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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: drill · press · cold · saw · fine · arm · nail · branch

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cold — an illness
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. press — to push
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cold — not warm
  18. fine — high quality
  19. drill — a practice
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fine — all right
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. saw — the tool

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