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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: drill · rush · track · pit · wind · snap · bulb · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. track — a song
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wind — moving air
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. mark — a trace
  11. drill — the tool
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. drill — army training
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rush — hurry
  23. drill — a practice
  24. snap — to click

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