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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: pop · ground · face · degree · kick · mouse · lie · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. drill — the tool
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pop — soda
  14. ground — a position
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — to point toward
  17. kick — in football
  18. face — to confront
  19. drill — army training
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ground — the earth
  24. degree — temperature

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