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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: key · drill · dip · clip · land · lie · hide · rule

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. land — ground
  3. key — in music
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — to recline
  7. drill — army training
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rule — a law
  12. clip — a video
  13. land — to come down
  14. rule — government
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. land — a country
  18. clip — for paper
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. drill — a practice
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — to dunk

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