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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: pass · pit · drill · straw · leaves · chair · lie · nail

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — army training
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chair — a leader
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pass — a permit
  22. drill — a practice
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lie — to recline

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