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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: lie · drill · degree · mug · last · mate · fork · bowl

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mug — a face
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mug — to rob
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. last — finally
  14. drill — army training
  15. mate — a partner
  16. last — final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. degree — from a university
  19. drill — the tool
  20. degree — temperature
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. last — to go on
  24. degree — an amount

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