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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: object · rock · track · ground · mine · swing · lean · drill

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lean — thin
  4. ground — crushed
  5. object — a thing
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. drill — army training
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. object — an aim
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ground — a position
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. track — a song
  20. object — to protest
  21. rock — music
  22. track — a path
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lean — to bend

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