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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rule — government
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. drill — army training
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — to bend
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. lie — to recline
  20. dip — to sink
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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