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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · clip · lie · cabinet · scale · bass · bowl · pit

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. drill — a practice
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bass — low music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. drill — army training
  20. clip — a video
  21. scale — size or range
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pit — in a race

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