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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: ball · drill · straw · race · stand · lie · ruler · sharp

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. race — humankind
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ball — a great time
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. drill — a practice
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lie — to recline
  16. race — a contest
  17. drill — army training
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. race — the arms race
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ball — a dance
  24. sharp — with an edge

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