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

Word bank: dip · wake · object · cell · drill · present

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cell — a phone
  5. dip — to sink
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cell — in biology
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. present — there
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. present — the time now
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. drill — army training
  15. object — to protest
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. drill — a practice
  18. present — a gift

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