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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. track — to keep track
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. track — a path
  7. hand — help
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lean — to bend
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. hand — in cards
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. track — a song
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lean — thin
  22. drill — army training
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. degree — from a university

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