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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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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: wind · fine · stick · date · lean · drill · bowl · dip

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lean — to bend
  6. drill — the tool
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fine — all right
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lean — thin
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. date — the fruit
  23. dip — to sink
  24. date — on the calendar

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