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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: current · rock · dip · lie · game · drill · object · rest

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. game — a match
  3. drill — a practice
  4. object — to protest
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. current — electric
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rest — what's left
  9. drill — army training
  10. dip — to sink
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. game — wild animals
  15. current — happening now
  16. object — an aim
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — of water
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rest — a break
  21. rock — music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. object — a thing
  24. dip — to dunk

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