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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
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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: fan · cabinet · saw · mine · root · drill · deal · chest

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. drill — army training
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. chest — of your body
  11. root — of a word
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mine — for digging
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. root — the cause
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a plant
  22. chest — a box
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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