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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: drill · hand · deal · pitcher · firm · lean · file · stem

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. file — a document
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. file — a tool
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. hand — in cards
  7. file — a line of people
  8. firm — steady
  9. drill — the tool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stem — to come from
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. drill — a practice
  18. firm — a company
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. firm — decided
  21. drill — army training
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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