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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · capital · straw · dip · drill · lie · bore · prune

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. bore — to drill
  3. drill — a practice
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. drill — army training
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. drill — the tool
  14. row — a line
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bore — to tire
  18. capital — money
  19. dip — to sink
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. capital — a city
  23. dip — a sauce
  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