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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: drill · lie · cap · fine · ball · current · wind · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. current — electric
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cap — of ice
  11. current — happening now
  12. ball — a great time
  13. drill — the tool
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wind — moving air
  20. deal — to handle
  21. drill — army training
  22. fine — all right
  23. current — of water
  24. fine — high quality

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