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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 116 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: squash · bowl · drill · straw · key · firm · lie · chair

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lie — to recline
  6. firm — a company
  7. chair — a leader
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. firm — decided
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. drill — a practice
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. squash — to crush
  17. firm — steady
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. squash — the sport
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bowl — a football final

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