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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 116 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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fall — the season
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. suit — to fit
  8. drill — the tool
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — a tin
  12. suit — clothes
  13. kid — to tease
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fall — to drop
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fall — to drop
  20. suit — in cards
  21. net — after costs
  22. drill — a practice
  23. kid — child
  24. can — a tin

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