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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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 — army training
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. key — in music
  7. shower — rain
  8. tear — to rip
  9. stem — to come from
  10. board — to get on
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. board — a committee
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. key — the most important part
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. tear — from crying
  20. drill — a practice
  21. key — for a lock
  22. tear — from crying
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lie — to recline

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