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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.

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: leaves · drill · staff · wind · board · track · degree · lie

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. drill — a practice
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. degree — from a university
  5. drill — army training
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. staff — employees
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. track — a song
  11. staff — employees
  12. board — to get on
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wind — moving air
  16. degree — an amount
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lie — to recline
  21. board — a committee
  22. drill — the tool
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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