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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: track · lie · stem · chip · fine · drill · rush · jam

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. track — a path
  5. lie — to recline
  6. track — a song
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chip — for betting
  17. drill — army training
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fine — all right
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rush — hurry
  24. jam — a tight spot

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