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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · perch · lie · drill · net · pit · band · bark

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rash — a series
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pit — a hole
  8. net — for catching
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. drill — a practice
  13. net — in sport
  14. band — a ring
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. drill — army training
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — after costs
  23. perch — the fish
  24. drill — the tool

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