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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. spring — the season
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bass — low music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bass — the fish
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. saw — the tool
  19. spring — of water
  20. drill — army training
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. row — a line
  23. saw — the tool
  24. drill — the tool

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