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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: row · dip · bay · deal · drill · fall · degree · mark

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. deal — to handle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. row — a line
  12. degree — temperature
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fall — to drop
  18. drill — army training
  19. fall — the season
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mark — a grade
  23. drill — a practice
  24. dip — to dunk

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