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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: degree · net · fall · leaves · drill · ball · board · lie

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. board — to get on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — an amount
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. net — for catching
  12. ball — a dance
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. drill — army training
  15. net — in sport
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. net — after costs
  18. drill — a practice
  19. board — a committee
  20. lie — to recline
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ball — a great time

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