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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 120 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 · saw · bat · scale · suit · bay · fall · cabinet

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fall — the season
  4. scale — in music
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. drill — the tool
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fall — to drop
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. saw — the tool
  24. suit — in cards

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