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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · game · date · drill · squash · lean · lie · fork

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fork — in a road
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. staff — a stick
  6. date — the fruit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. drill — a practice
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. staff — employees
  19. game — wild animals
  20. drill — army training
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. game — a match
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. staff — employees

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