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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: cue · mate · dip · lie · drill · rash · firm · spring

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. firm — steady
  3. drill — army training
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cue — a hint
  6. firm — a company
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rash — a series
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mate — to breed
  11. spring — the season
  12. firm — decided
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cue — a signal
  18. spring — of water
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. drill — a practice
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lie — an untruth

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