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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. drill — army training
  5. tear — to rip
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. court — for sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. drill — the tool
  21. court — of a king
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. court — of law
  24. bowl — to roll

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