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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.

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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: drill · stick · firm · rest · degree · lie · tube · land

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tube — the underground
  3. degree — from a university
  4. firm — a company
  5. land — a country
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rest — a break
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tube — a container
  13. drill — army training
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. land — to come down
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — an amount
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — ground

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