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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cap · track · bulb · lash · land · drill · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bulb — for light
  5. land — to come down
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fall — to drop
  8. track — a song
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. land — ground
  12. fall — to drop
  13. track — a path
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. drill — army training
  17. fall — the season
  18. land — a country
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cap — of ice

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