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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 120 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: kick · bass · march · cabinet · stand · lie · drill · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. drill — army training
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bass — the fish
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bass — low music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. march — the month
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. drill — the tool
  24. kick — a thrill

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