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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 116 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
468
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: drill · lie · tear · ruler · cap · stock · cabinet · bass

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stock — shares
  4. tear — to rip
  5. cap — of ice
  6. drill — army training
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bass — low music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stock — goods
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — to recline
  24. tear — from crying

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