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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 116 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. firm — a company
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. firm — decided
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. drill — army training
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. sharp — clever
  18. row — a line
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. drill — a practice
  22. row — to paddle
  23. firm — steady
  24. coach — a trainer

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