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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: game · saw · stock · fine · lean · wound · drill · dip

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fine — all right
  5. stock — shares
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. drill — army training
  9. game — wild animals
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — thin
  14. game — a match
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wound — an injury
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stock — goods
  24. wound — an injury

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