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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: bat · present · mouse · bay · drill · hide · stand · lie

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. drill — army training
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stand — to bear
  6. present — there
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. present — the time now
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — a gift
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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