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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: wind · lie · fine · leaves · rule · object · bass · drill

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. object — a thing
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rule — a law
  7. bass — low music
  8. object — to protest
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — all right
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. object — an aim
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bass — the fish
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fine — high quality
  21. drill — army training
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rule — government
  24. wind — moving air

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