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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: saw · stand · sharp · drill · tube · snap · track · bass

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. track — a song
  5. drill — a practice
  6. tube — a container
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — low music
  11. track — a path
  12. tube — the underground
  13. track — to keep track
  14. snap — to click
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. drill — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. sharp — clever
  21. saw — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stand — to bear

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