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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bass — low music
  3. race — a contest
  4. row — a line
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mug — a face
  7. drill — a practice
  8. row — to paddle
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mark — a grade
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. bass — the fish
  14. staff — a stick
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mug — to rob
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. race — humankind
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mug — a cup

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