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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — a practice
  4. field — for sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. field — farmland
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. tear — from crying
  10. drill — the tool
  11. dip — to sink
  12. drill — army training
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. cue — for pool
  19. field — a subject
  20. tear — to rip
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. firm — a company
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cell — a phone

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