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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.

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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 · saw · rest · dip · drill · track · patient · staff

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. track — to keep track
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wound — an injury
  5. track — a song
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. drill — a practice
  13. dip — to sink
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rest — a break
  19. track — a path
  20. staff — employees
  21. saw — the tool
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  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