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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: race · cabinet · rest · lie · drill · firm · mug · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. firm — steady
  5. race — a contest
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. drill — army training
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mug — to rob
  12. firm — decided
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mug — a face
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rest — a break
  20. lie — to recline
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. firm — a company

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