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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: bay · pound · wound · lie · current · ruler · drill · net

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wound — an injury
  6. current — electric
  7. pound — a weight
  8. net — after costs
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lie — to recline
  11. net — for catching
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wound — an injury
  14. net — in sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. drill — a practice
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pound — for dogs

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