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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. present — a gift
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a tool
  5. present — the time now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — the tool
  11. present — there
  12. drill — army training
  13. spell — a short time
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ball — a great time
  23. file — a document
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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