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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.

Make a worksheet

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: drill · straw · scale · rush · pitcher · spring · last · lie

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spring — of water
  6. last — finally
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. spring — the season
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. drill — army training
  17. spring — a coil
  18. drill — a practice
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. drill — the tool
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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