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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: wound · mark · dip · pitch · stock · last · lie · drill

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stock — shares
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. last — to go on
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wound — an injury
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. last — finally
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pitch — completely
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wound — an injury
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. drill — the tool
  24. last — final

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