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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 124 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: lie · march · drill · chest · dip · ruler · prune · mark

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. drill — army training
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chest — a box
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — the month
  10. chest — of your body
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — to recline
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mark — a trace
  20. dip — to sink
  21. march — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — a grade

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