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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 120 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: drill · wake · chair · mug · file · rush · lie · mate

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lie — to recline
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. file — a document
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. file — a tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wake — a trail
  24. drill — army training

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