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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 116 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: snap · lie · hand · bay · hide · drill · scale · bear

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lie — to recline
  3. drill — army training
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. drill — a practice
  12. snap — to click
  13. hand — in cards
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. hand — help
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bear — the animal
  20. scale — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hand — part of the body

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