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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. track — a path
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bore — to tire
  7. drill — the tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. field — for sport
  13. track — a song
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. field — a subject
  17. band — a ring
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bore — to drill
  20. band — a music group
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cap — a lid
  24. field — farmland

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