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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: pass · lie · squash · mine · season · fall · ground · drill

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ground — crushed
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pass — a permit
  9. season — of the year
  10. drill — army training
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ground — a position
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fall — the season
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ground — the earth

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