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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · content · row · dip · tube · staff · face · safe

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. tube — a container
  3. face — to point toward
  4. drill — a practice
  5. face — to confront
  6. dip — to sink
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. row — a line
  10. content — the amount
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. row — to paddle
  18. drill — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. face — part of the head
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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