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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. drill — army training
  3. file — a tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. can — a tin
  9. root — of a word
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. band — a ring
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. file — a document
  21. root — the cause
  22. can — a tin
  23. band — a music group
  24. stock — goods

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