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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spell — magic
  4. drill — army training
  5. current — of water
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — electric
  10. drill — a practice
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. drill — the tool
  13. current — happening now
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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