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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: net · drill · toast · sharp · bear · saw · race · stick

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — in sport
  4. drill — the tool
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bear — the animal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. drill — army training
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. sharp — clever
  12. net — for catching
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. race — humankind
  19. saw — the tool
  20. net — after costs
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. drill — a practice
  24. toast — the most admired

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