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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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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. tear — from crying
  5. sharp — clever
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cue — a signal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cue — for pool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cue — a hint
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. can — a tin
  21. kick — in football
  22. tear — from crying
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tear — to rip

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