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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
468
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: bat · mine · drill · lean · wave · bound · stick · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lean — thin
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bound — certain
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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