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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: row · fall · hand · pass · key · drill · mug · saw

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. key — the most important part
  3. row — to paddle
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mug — a cup
  9. drill — the tool
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. key — in music
  14. row — a line
  15. mug — to rob
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fall — to drop
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. key — for a lock
  20. drill — army training
  21. pass — a permit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fall — the season

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