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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: sharp · spring · drill · mug · shower · lie · club · bowl

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mug — a cup
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. sharp — clever
  6. club — a group
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lie — to recline
  12. shower — to wash
  13. club — for dancing
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. club — for golf
  16. drill — army training
  17. shower — rain
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. drill — a practice
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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