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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 116 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
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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: wound · land · track · deal · lean · pit · drill · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. land — ground
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. land — to come down
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pit — in a race
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. drill — army training
  13. land — a country
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lean — thin
  20. pit — a hole
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lean — to bend
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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