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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.

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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 · wave · stand · lie · perch · track · season · hand

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. drill — army training
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. track — a path
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. season — in sport
  11. stand — to bear
  12. track — a song
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. lie — an untruth

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