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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. roll — a list
  6. mug — to rob
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. roll — a cake
  13. degree — temperature
  14. staff — employees
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. degree — from a university
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mug — a face
  23. drill — the tool
  24. degree — an amount

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