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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: staff · mark · track · dip · saw · drill · rush · root

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. track — to keep track
  6. saw — the tool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. drill — army training
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rush — hurry
  18. staff — employees
  19. dip — to sink
  20. track — a path
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. track — a song
  24. saw — the tool

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