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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mug — to rob
  3. drill — army training
  4. snap — to click
  5. dip — to sink
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pound — a weight
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mug — a face
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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