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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.

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: last · game · hide · bay · drill · root · bore · lie

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. drill — army training
  3. lie — to recline
  4. root — the cause
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. last — to go on
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. last — final
  18. drill — a practice
  19. root — of a word
  20. bore — to drill
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bore — to tire
  23. last — finally
  24. game — a kind of play

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