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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.

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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rock — a stone
  3. charge — a price
  4. wound — an injury
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rock — music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. drill — a practice
  16. tube — a container
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. charge — in control
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitch — completely
  24. dip — to dunk

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