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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. drill — a practice
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ground — the earth
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. drill — the tool
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tube — a container
  14. ground — crushed
  15. row — a line
  16. ground — a position
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pound — a weight
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. drill — army training

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