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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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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: lie · drill · snap · rush · board · firm · last · calf

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. firm — decided
  4. board — a committee
  5. drill — a practice
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. last — final
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. firm — steady
  14. drill — army training
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. last — finally
  19. board — to get on
  20. rush — hurry
  21. drill — the tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. last — to go on

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