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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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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 · bay · kick · drill · chip · wake · fine · swing

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. swing — to play on
  5. drill — army training
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fine — high quality
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. swing — music
  22. kick — in football
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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