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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lean — thin
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bat — the animal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bound — certain
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bound — obliged
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bass — the fish
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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