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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: present · net · lash · bear · bowl · wound · lie · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — a gift
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — in sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bear — the animal
  15. net — after costs
  16. drill — army training
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. present — the time now
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. present — there
  24. net — for catching

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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