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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: lie · bass · drill · firm · saw · bowl · season · file

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. drill — a practice
  4. firm — decided
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. season — of the year
  7. firm — steady
  8. bass — low music
  9. firm — a company
  10. season — in sport
  11. drill — army training
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. file — a document
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. file — a tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. file — a line of people

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