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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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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: pound · straw · wind · rock · pass · drill · lie · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rock — music
  11. pound — a weight
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. drill — army training
  15. wind — moving air
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cabinet — ministers

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