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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: object · fork · court · lie · lash · track · face · drill

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. track — a path
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. drill — army training
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — to confront
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. object — to protest
  13. court — of a king
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. object — an aim
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. object — a thing
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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