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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.

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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: field · drill · current · lean · saw · lie · mate · pound

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. field — for sport
  3. drill — the tool
  4. lean — thin
  5. current — happening now
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. drill — army training
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. saw — the tool
  11. field — a subject
  12. pound — a weight
  13. current — electric
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. current — of water
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mate — a friend
  18. field — farmland
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pound — for dogs

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