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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: roll · lie · toast · wind · bass · drill · cell · ball

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. drill — army training
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bass — low music
  6. cell — in biology
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. drill — a practice
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. drill — the tool
  17. toast — bread
  18. wind — moving air
  19. roll — a list
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lie — to recline
  24. roll — a cake

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