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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. drill — a practice
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. snap — to click
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. file — a document
  19. drill — army training
  20. hand — help
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hand — part of the body

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