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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 116 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 · lean · band · lie · track · fork · saw · nail

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — in a road
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. drill — a practice
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lean — thin
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. drill — army training
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. saw — the tool
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lie — to recline
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to rest against

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