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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: fall · drill · lie · race · mouse · land · can · suit

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. race — a contest
  3. land — a country
  4. fall — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. race — humankind
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. suit — to fit
  12. drill — the tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. drill — a practice
  18. land — ground
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. drill — army training
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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