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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lean — thin
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. lie — to recline
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lean — to bend
  24. last — final

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