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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pound — a weight
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. clip — for paper
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pass — a permit
  20. clip — a video
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. clip — to cut
  24. lie — an untruth

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