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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · object · bear · swing · game · saw · bay · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bear — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. object — an aim
  8. game — a match
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. swing — music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. object — to protest
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. swing — in golf
  21. drill — the tool
  22. object — a thing
  23. drill — army training
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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