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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.

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: row · degree · mug · prune · fall · nail · drill · leaves

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mug — a face
  4. drill — the tool
  5. degree — an amount
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — a line
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — to paddle
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fall — the season
  20. degree — from a university
  21. drill — army training
  22. fall — to drop
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mug — to rob

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