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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. drill — army training
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cell — in biology
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fork — a garden tool

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