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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.

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: staff · rash · deal · hide · drill · row · lie · bowl

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. row — a line
  9. rash — hasty
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. drill — a practice
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. lie — to recline
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rash — a series

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