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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. tube — a container
  4. last — finally
  5. spell — a short time
  6. can — to be able to
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. can — a tin
  10. spell — letters
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. spell — magic
  19. last — final
  20. can — a tin
  21. last — to go on
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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