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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: squash · bulb · drill · lie · shower · wake · nail · lean

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. drill — army training
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. squash — to crush
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. shower — rain
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — thin
  24. bulb — for light

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