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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: stick · bark · drill · dip · squash · hand · lie · cap

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. squash — the sport
  6. hand — in cards
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — army training
  12. cap — a lid
  13. hand — help
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bark — to shout
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cap — a hat
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cap — of ice

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