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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mug — a face
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stand — to bear
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mug — a cup
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mug — to rob
  15. file — a document
  16. rock — music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. file — a tool
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. drill — a practice
  24. file — a line of people

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