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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · board · mark · drill · lie · club · tube · dip

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lie — to recline
  3. drill — army training
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. drill — the tool
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. dip — to sink
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mate — a partner
  13. club — a group
  14. mate — a friend
  15. board — a committee
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mark — a trace
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tube — a container
  23. board — to get on
  24. club — for dancing

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