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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: foot · spell · roll · prune · drill · firm · straw · bay

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. firm — steady
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. roll — a cake
  5. drill — a practice
  6. foot — a measure
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. firm — decided
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. drill — the tool
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. roll — a list
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. prune — to trim
  19. firm — a company
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. spell — a short time
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. prune — the fruit

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