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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. content — happy
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lean — to bend
  9. row — to paddle
  10. charge — a price
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. content — the amount
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — to keep track
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — a song
  18. drill — the tool
  19. track — a path
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. drill — army training
  24. lean — thin

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