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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · pit · lie · drill · squash · ball · perch · shower

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pit — a hole
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. board — a committee
  6. ball — a great time
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. shower — to wash
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. board — to get on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. drill — army training
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. shower — rain
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pit — in a race

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