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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: rock · wave · bowl · ground · drill · chip · lie · hide

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ground — a position
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — to eat
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. drill — army training
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. lie — to recline
  21. drill — a practice
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rock — music

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