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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 120 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: shower · lie · staff · pitch · rash · firm · drill · hide

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. drill — the tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. drill — army training
  10. shower — rain
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. rash — a series
  14. firm — decided
  15. pitch — completely
  16. firm — steady
  17. rash — hasty
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. firm — a company
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. shower — to wash
  24. hide — to keep secret

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