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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.

Make a worksheet

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: drill · saw · net · hide · wax · pit · lie · object

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lie — to recline
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pit — in a race
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. object — an aim
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. object — to protest
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. drill — a practice
  17. net — after costs
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. drill — army training
  20. pit — a hole
  21. saw — the tool
  22. object — a thing
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wax — to grow

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