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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. land — to come down
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. drill — army training
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bass — low music
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. land — a country
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lie — to recline
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. land — ground
  18. bass — the fish

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