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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 116 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: saw · field · lie · drill · kick · spell · court · key

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. court — of a king
  3. key — for a lock
  4. field — for sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — in football
  7. lie — to recline
  8. drill — the tool
  9. spell — magic
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. court — of law
  14. field — a subject
  15. key — in music
  16. drill — army training
  17. key — the most important part
  18. court — for sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. field — farmland
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. drill — a practice
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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