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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lean — thin
  13. drill — army training
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rush — hurry
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lie — to recline
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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