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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: degree · lie · firm · drill · stick · craft · chest · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chest — a box
  4. last — finally
  5. chest — of your body
  6. firm — steady
  7. craft — a skill
  8. drill — army training
  9. craft — boats
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. drill — a practice
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chest — of your body
  16. last — final
  17. firm — a company
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lie — to recline
  20. degree — an amount
  21. drill — the tool
  22. degree — temperature
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. firm — decided

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