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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. last — to go on
  3. drill — the tool
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. squash — to crush
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. board — to get on
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — the sport
  19. drill — army training
  20. track — a song
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lie — an untruth

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