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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: suit · lie · squash · rash · fall · drill · stand · clip

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fall — the season
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. drill — army training
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. squash — the sport
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fall — to drop
  21. drill — the tool
  22. squash — to crush
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. drill — a practice

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