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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bound — obliged
  9. drill — army training
  10. date — the fruit
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — tied together
  14. object — a thing
  15. track — a path
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. object — to protest
  20. drill — a practice
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. object — an aim
  23. bound — certain
  24. roll — a list

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