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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: bass · staff · drill · cue · bat · lie · lean · foot

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bass — low music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. lean — to bend
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — a hint
  13. staff — employees
  14. drill — army training
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lean — thin
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. staff — a stick

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