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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: hand · ball · bay · lean · band · drill · mug · lie

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. lean — to bend
  2. band — a music group
  3. lean — thin
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. drill — a practice
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hand — in cards
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mug — a face
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. drill — army training
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. band — a ring
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lie — to recline
  23. hand — help
  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