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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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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 · rule · ground · mug · plane · stand · mine

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — government
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mine — for digging
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rule — a law
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. drill — army training

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