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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. track — a song
  3. drill — the tool
  4. track — a path
  5. hand — in cards
  6. tube — a container
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. track — to keep track
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. tube — the underground
  12. land — a country
  13. hand — help
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. dip — to sink
  17. land — ground
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. land — to come down

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