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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. date — the fruit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lie — to recline
  5. race — a contest
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — in sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. drill — the tool
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. race — humankind
  19. drill — a practice
  20. race — the arms race
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. foot — a measure

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