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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: cabinet · saw · mate · pound · object · drill · rush · prune

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. saw — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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