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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 116 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: lie · nail · clip · court · wind · root · drill · bowl

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. root — of a plant
  3. court — for sport
  4. clip — a video
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. clip — for paper
  9. lie — to recline
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. root — the cause
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. root — of a word
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. court — of a king
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wind — moving air
  20. clip — to cut
  21. court — of law
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wind — to turn a key

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