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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · drill · chair · mark · hide · land · bay · wound

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. drill — the tool
  6. land — ground
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. land — a country
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. land — to come down
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hide — to keep secret

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