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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: lie · court · drill · saw · press · ball · wound · plane

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wound — an injury
  10. court — of law
  11. plane — a tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. court — of a king
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. court — for sport
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. drill — army training
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a great time
  24. plane — an aircraft

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