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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: drill · rush · bay · chip · track · straw · lie · scale

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rush — hurry
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. track — to keep track
  11. chip — to eat
  12. scale — in music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. track — a song
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — a path
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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