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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · track · land · drill · can · wake

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. track — to keep track
  6. land — to come down
  7. drill — the tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. kick — in football
  10. track — a path
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. drill — army training
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. drill — a practice
  16. land — ground
  17. track — a song
  18. land — a country

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