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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. object — an aim
  3. root — the cause
  4. object — to protest
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. rush — hurry
  13. root — of a word
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. drill — the tool
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. root — of a plant
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rash — hasty
  22. object — a thing
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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