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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 120 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: wake · firm · drill · cell · rush · wound · kick · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. dip — to sink
  6. drill — army training
  7. cell — in biology
  8. firm — steady
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wake — a trail
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. firm — decided
  13. wound — an injury
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. rush — hurry
  22. firm — a company
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — before a funeral

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