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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 · drill · can · prune · degree · suit · march · sharp

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. suit — clothes
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lie — to recline
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. prune — to trim
  13. sharp — clever
  14. degree — from a university
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. march — the month
  17. degree — an amount
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. degree — temperature
  22. suit — to fit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. drill — the tool

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