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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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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: ground · lie · drill · plane · tear · bank · straw · deal

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bank — for money
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bank — of a river
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. drill — army training
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ground — a position
  13. bank — for money
  14. drill — the tool
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ground — crushed
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lie — to recline
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lie — an untruth

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