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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: lean · land · bay · drill · kick · temple · pass · roll

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. drill — army training
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. drill — a practice
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. land — a country
  18. roll — a list
  19. kick — in football
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lean — to bend
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. drill — the tool

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