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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: dip · spring · rock · face · track · tube · mug · drill

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. track — a path
  3. rock — a stone
  4. drill — army training
  5. face — to confront
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. drill — the tool
  8. spring — the season
  9. track — a song
  10. tube — the underground
  11. drill — a practice
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mug — a face
  14. face — to point toward
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tube — a container
  20. mug — to rob
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mug — a cup
  23. face — part of the head
  24. spring — a coil

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