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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: mug · race · hide · rush · object · drill · net · lie

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mug — to rob
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mug — a face
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. drill — a practice
  10. net — in sport
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. rush — hurry
  14. object — a thing
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. net — for catching
  23. race — humankind
  24. net — after costs

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